Pixie Dust Never Lies
by Verkaiking
Summary: A collection of Outlaw Queen one-shots and prompts.
1. Birthday

**_I wrote this for the Domesticity prompt of Outlaw Queen Week on Tumblr the other day, thought I'd put it up here for you guys to read._**

**_Also, I'm making this into an Outlaw Queen one-shot series so if anyone wants to send me prompts, you can do so at my Tumblr (link is on my profile) and I will write a one-shot for you and publish it here._**

**_Let me know what you think!_**

**_-B_**

* * *

The smell of something sweet filtered into her room as the morning sunlight shone through her window. Eyes still closed, Regina stretched on the bed, her arm reaching to her left, only to find that the spot next to her was empty. She furrowed her brow and then opened her eyes, looking around the room for him, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Robin?" she called out tentatively. No answer.

Slowly, she sat up, rubbing her eyes before she lifted the covers and got out of bed, pulling on her robe as she headed downstairs and into the kitchen. There, she found Roland adding blueberries to a bowl of pancake batter while Henry flipped a perfect, golden pancake out of a pan and into the rapidly growing pile that sat on a plate near the toaster.

"Morning, mom! Happy birthday!" he said when he saw her standing by the kitchen door, dropping the spatula he was holding and running to her.

"What's all this?" she asked after being bulldozed by the two boys, who hugged her and sang a quick and very off-key rendition of the birthday song to her.

"We wanted to make you birthday breakfast!" Roland said excitedly.

"It was Robin's idea," Henry said, grinning at his mother as he watched her pick a blueberry from the plate Roland had left on the counter and pop it in her mouth.

"Was it?" she asked suspiciously, "where is he, then?"

"I may have thrown him out of the kitchen," Henry said innocently.

"Henry! why did you do that?" she asked, her voice stern.

"He burned the pancakes!" Roland's laughing voice intervened, and Regina widened her eyes at him before she shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips.

"I'm sorry, but he's useless in the kitchen," Henry said.

"It's true! He burned his hand, too!" Roland supplied with a chuckle.

"What? What happened?" Regina was worried for a second, but Henry smirked, trying very hard to contain his laughter.

"Just a minor burn. For what it's worth, I did tell him not to pick the pancake off the pan with his bare hand, but he was too stubborn," he managed to say through barely concealed amusement. Regina couldn't help but grin, shaking her head again as she grabbed the spatula Henry had left on the counter and went to flip the pancake that was in the pan, but her son stopped her before she could get too close, taking the spatula from her and shooing her out of the kitchen.

"No, no helping. It's your birthday, we're spoiling you," he said as he gently shoved her out the door, Roland giggling as he watched them.

Regina smiled to herself as she walked to the living room, looking out the window at the crisp, cold morning that greeted her.

She sensed him before she heard him come in, and then she closed her eyes and sighed as she felt his arms wrap around her from behind, his lips planting a tiny kiss on her neck before he moved to rest his chin on her shoulder, taking a deep breath with his nose buried in her hair.

"Happy birthday, m'lady," he whispered, his arms squeezing her just a little tighter as he spoke.

"Thank you," she said as she turned in his arms and looked up at him, instantly getting lost in his eyes before he closed them and bent down to kiss the tip of her nose. His hands left her waist to grab her by the elbows, moving her with him as he walked backwards towards the nearby coffee table, and that's when she noticed the huge bouquet of long-stem white roses that sat there, making her gasp.

"Are those for me?" she asked him in a whisper.

"Of course, your majesty," he replied, winking at her as he bowed. Moving closer to Regina, he cupped her cheek with his hand, loving the way she leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, as if reveling in the feel of him. He leaned closer, his lips barely an inch from hers.

"Breakfast is ready, guys!" interrupted Henry's voice from the kitchen, startling them both, and Robin grinned sheepishly at her.

"I was supposed to be in charge of that," he said, and she stared at him.

"The boys said you burned your hand, does it hurt?" she asked, genuinely worried as he lifted his hand and showed her the angry red scar on his wrist, right by his lion tattoo.

"Not to worry, it's my pride that's hurt, more than anything else. It looks worse than it is, really," he said, not really paying it any mind, but Regina didn't let go of his hand even as he tried to bring it back down to her waist. Instead, she took it in both of hers and planted a kiss on the scar, making him smile tenderly at her.

"Mom! Robin! What's taking you so long?" came Henry's voice again.

"Yeah, we're staaaarving!" Roland called out, and Robin laughed quietly as he touched his forehead to hers.

"Let's go, you know how they get when they're 'staaaarving'," she said, imitating Roland's exaggerated pronunciation of the word with a roll of her eyes. Robin laughed as she started walking back towards the kitchen.

"Wait!" he said, making her stop in her tracks as he hurried to her and crashed his lips to hers, his fingers threading in her hair.

"Happy birthday," he said when he pulled away, planting another short kiss on her lips when she beamed at him. He took her hand as they both headed back into the kitchen to enjoy their breakfast.


	2. Not So Evil After All

_This is for **outlawqueenluvr** over on Tumblr, who sent me an awesome prompt that I absolutely LOVED working on. I don't know if this is exactly what you pictured, but I hope you like it!_

_Prompt summary: during the Missing Year, our friends run into some trouble in the Enchanted Forest. Regina protects Roland, but things go wrong and just when everything seems lost, someone else comes to the rescue (I have a feeling you all know who that is)._

_Enjoy!_

_**PS:**** Sadly, these fantastic characters are not mine  
**_

* * *

They were coming. She could hear them in the distance, their rumbling grunts and foul stench carrying over to where she was. She had wanted to use her magic, but magic didn't really affect ogres, and so they had fled, trying to find a place to hide. She looked around, making sure the others were on their guard as they ran through the forest as quietly as possible. They were all struggling, trying to conceal the sound of their footsteps as they went. Ogres were blind, but their hearing was so acute that it guided them to their prey.

She finally stopped and hid behind a tree to catch her breath when she was sure the creatures wouldn't be nearby. Suddenly, a scream was heard, and she gasped when she turned and saw who it was coming from. Little Roland was a few feet away, running through the clearing where their camp was, an ogre chasing after him as he frantically called out for his father.

Regina didn't even think, she just moved, away from the safety of her hiding place and into the clearing, snatching Roland from the ogre's path just in time and crouching with him behind a tree stump. She put her hand on Roland's mouth to stop him from yelling.

"Roland, I need you to be very quiet, okay?" she asked him, and the panicked look in his eyes told her he probably couldn't even register what she was saying, but the boy nodded, tears streaming down his face as he did. She dropped her hand and they waited, hugging the boy and running her hand up and down his back, muttering reassurances in his ear to try and get him to calm down. When the ogre had turned its head away from them, Regina lifted Roland into her arms again and ran.

The lower branches snapped against her as she passed and left some small cuts on her face, but she didn't care, she kept Roland's head tucked safely in the crook of her neck and continued running until finally, she emerged in a meadow. She'd heard from Snow that it was safer to be in open spaces when ogres were around, as it would be easier to stay quiet if there was nothing to bump into. She could no longer hear the creatures, so she set Roland down and knelt in front of him, checking him for any cuts or bruises.

"Roland, why were you so far away from the tents? Where's your father?" she asked him. The little boy held out his fist and opened it in front of her, revealing a few red berries that had been crushed by his little hand as he had held on to them so tightly in his panic.

"He was looking for firewood, I wanted to get you a present," he explained, his lip quivering as he dumped the crushed berries in her gloved hand, and Regina smiled tearfully at him.

Before either of them could say anything else, there was a growl, and she froze. The ogre was back, and it had found them.

There was no time to run or hide, as the creature was right in front of them, so Regina merely put one hand on Roland's mouth again, her other hand lifting a finger to her own lips to remind him that he had to stay quiet, but the ogre continued on its path straight towards them, and all hopes of an escape left her as she remembered something: her face was covered in tiny cuts, and ogres could smell blood. She should have healed her small wounds with magic as soon as she had the chance, but in her hurry to save Roland, she hadn't stopped to consider that, and it was too late to do anything about it now.

"Roland, listen to me, you have to run, run as far as you can into the trees, find a clearing and stay there. I'll come get you when this is over. Just remember to be quiet and they won't find you," she said desperately, but it was no use. The ogre was there, its hand stretching out to grab her as Roland screamed in terror, alerting the creature to his presence and making it stop moving for a second before its clouded eyes settled on the boy, moving towards him this time.

"No!" Regina gasped and created a fire around the beast. Knowing it would only detain it for a few seconds, she waved her hand and made Roland disappear in a small cloud of purple smoke, reappearing a little further into the meadow, where she used her magic to create a protective bubble around him that would conceal him from the creature.

"You'll be okay, Roland, it's going to be alright," she told him as she turned around and stood, blocking the ogre's path.

"Enough of this," she said as the beast made it out of the fire and started moving towards her again, "you want me? Come and get me," she spat at it, magical fireball already in her hand, but one flick of the ogre's hand knocked her to the floor on her stomach. She saw a shadow jump past her, and then her world went black.

* * *

"I don't know what to tell you, one minute she was with us and the next she was running in the opposite direction, she didn't even stop to think about what might happen, she just went for it," a voice said.

"I can't believe she did that," another replied.

"She really has changed," the first voice said, and Regina realized it belonged to Snow. She also realized they were talking about her.

"It's amazing," David said, and then Regina felt something cool being pressed to her forehead, making her scrunch up her nose at the strange sensation.

"Oh, look! She's waking up," Snow said excitedly, and before Regina could even open her eyes fully, a bunch of brown curls invaded her.

"Roland," she whispered as she sat up and hugged him. He was covered in dirt and leaves and had a couple scratches on him, but seemed otherwise okay, and she let out a breath, putting her hands on each side of his face and looking into his eyes.

"Does anything hurt?" she asked him, just to make sure, and she smiled when he shook his head at her.

"I'm so glad you're alright," she finally uttered, sighing in relief.

"Thanks to you," said a deep voice from behind them, and Regina turned around to find Robin watching them, his leg perched on top of a tree trunk, his elbow resting on his bent knee.

"I owe you more than I can say, milady," he said as he stood and walked over to them, stretching his hand towards her. For once, she didn't fight him, taking his offered hand and standing up slowly. They were still in the meadow, and the ogre that had been chasing them lay dead a few feet away.

"What happened?" she asked no one in particular.

"Robin found you, he put two arrows in the thing's eye before it could get to you," David said, putting an arm around his wife. Regina turned to Robin.

"You did that for me?" she whispered, stunned.

"You saved my boy. Again. It was the least I could do," he replied.

"Yes well, I have a soft spot for children," she said off-handedly, quoting the words he'd said to her the last time she'd saved Roland.

"Thank you," he said with fervor, and that's when she noticed he had yet to let go of her hand.

"Mind if I get my hand back?" she asked sarcastically, and Robin let go almost immediately, mumbling an apology.

"Roland, why don't you come with us? We'll get you cleaned up," Snow intervened, throwing Regina a mischievous smile and taking the boy's hand as she and David walked away towards a stream that ran nearby, leaving Robin and Regina alone in the meadow.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"I'm the queen, I'm always alright," she replied with authority, but Robin wasn't buying it.

"You hit your head pretty hard when the creature knocked you out, I was afraid you wouldn't wake up."

"It takes more than a smelly beast to bring down the Evil Queen," she said with flair.

"You almost died to save my son, forgive me if I have a hard time believing you to be deserving of that _evil_ moniker. _Bold_ and _audacious_ perhaps, but never _evil_," the outlaw said, and Regina felt the corners of her mouth twitch even as she turned away to stop him from seeing her smile. She began to walk in the direction of the stream Snow and David had headed off to with Roland, but the instant she began to move, her head began to swim and she collapsed again, feeling Robin's arms catch her before she hit the floor.

"Easy," he said, "you took quite a hit. Dramatic exits will have to wait until you're better," he was smirking at her, and it infuriated her, but she felt too dizzy to argue, letting him put her down against the cool grass.

"Here, let me help," he said, taking the wet rag Snow had been pressing to Regina's forehead and dabbing it with the contents of a vial he took out of his satchel.

"What is that?" she asked, suspicious of his actions.

"Just mint oil, it'll soothe the sting from your cuts," he replied, gently touching the rag to her temple and then the corner of her mouth, his face so close to hers she could feel the warmth radiating off him. Her eyes roamed his form, from the silky strands of his hair and his kind eyes to the gentle touch of his hands on her skin and the part of his chest that was exposed by the low collar of his shirt.

"See something you like, Your Majesty?" he asked smugly when he caught her looking, sending a cheeky grin her way. Regina felt the blush forming in her cheeks but fought it off, her eyes looking him up and down with disdain as he leaned ever so close to her.

"Don't flatter yourself, thief," she spat, and he shrugged as he pulled back from her, smirk still in place as he dropped the rag and walked away with a cockiness that should have bothered her, yet Regina could do nothing but smile to herself as she watched him go.

* * *

_Hehehe see what I did there with the "bold and audacious" thing and the "are you alright?" thing? For some reason I just love tying little things into their Missing Year storyline so that they have more meaning when they happen in their Storybrooke timeline, it's one of the things I love about these two, no matter where they are, their dynamic is basically the same and it all just works! Sigh, they're so perfect 3  
_

_Let me know what you think!_

_-B_


	3. Heart of the Storm

**_This is for Britt, since she was a little down about something yesterday (Skype was mean to her at THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME, let's just leave it at that) and I want to cheer her up._**

**_She's the one who read Take My Heart Back and convinced me it was good enough to publish here so yeah, I owe her and she's great and I don't want her to be sad._**

**_I hope you like it, girl!_**

**_x-x-x_**

**_All characters belong to ABC_**

* * *

Raindrops fall heavily against her as she hurries through the trees, trying to get back to the main road before darkness takes over the forest completely. She's lost track of time. Again. It's the third time she's done that this week, though it is the first time the rain catches up with her.

The storm is picking up, pounding against her as she walks, and flashes of light and thunder break through the clouds. The rain has clouded her vision, and she can no longer tell where she is or where she should go. She's lost and scared, and there's no one with her, there never has been.

Silent tears mix with the raindrops that fall on her face, and she lets out a frustrated scream as she finally collapses against a tree trunk, head buried in her knees as she cries and cries and cries. It's all she's been doing since she started coming here anyway. Ever since that night, her feet have carried her here, to the forest, where she first admitted her vulnerability to him, where she first realized he was different, where she handed him her heart.

"Regina!" she thinks she hears a voice call out, but it's probably just the wind.

"Regina!" it seems clearer this time, but again she remains silent, knowing there is no way anyone could possibly be searching for her.

"Regina, where are you?!" she doesn't want to answer, she just wants to stay here, letting the rain wash away her tears, her eyes empty as she stares at the darkness that has now bathed her surroundings.

She doesn't hear him approach, his hurried footsteps muffled by the sound of the pouring rain. She doesn't even feel his touch when he kneels down in front of her and cups her face in his hand, and though her eyes register his form, they never focus on him, still fixated on the droplets of water that pound against the forest floor. She doesn't even flinch when he puts his arms around her and lifts her up, carrying her to the safety of the main road and into her car, where he climbs in after her and holds her close to his chest, his lips murmuring nonsensical things against the top of her head.

"Are you insane?! What were you even doing out there by yourself?!" he exclaims as he pulls away, but she's too far gone to even register his voice, too caught up in the way her heart continues to break inside of her. He holds her chin and turns her face towards his, finally getting her to focus her eyes on his own.

"Regina! Say something, please!" he's desperate for a reaction from her, and she finally allows herself to take in her surroundings, the way his eyes frantically roam her face forcing her to put on the act she's been trying to pull for days now.

"I'm fine," she says.

"No, you're not," his voice is broken, knowing he is the one who caused her such pain.

"Why do you even care? Go back to your wife, Robin, I don't need you," she replies and gets out of the car, walking away in the middle of the storm. It astounds her how easy it is for her to lie to him like this, but then Robin sees right through her. He always did.

"Then I suppose we have a problem, your majesty, because I _do_ need _you_!" he says angrily when he goes after her. His words break through her façade momentarily.

"What?" she asks as she turns around, her voice betraying her, faltering as she asks the question.

"You heard me. I'm not losing you, Regina, no matter how hard you try to push me away."

"Don't you dare make this about me," she seethes as she walks back towards him, her words resounding as thunder rumbles all around them, "your _wife_ came back, Robin. The one _I killed _all those years ago. I never had a chance, you never would've picked me," she says, her voice strong and clear before it breaks as she quietly mutters a bitter "why would you?" and looks down at her hands to avoid showing him the sadness in her eyes.

Robin's arms grab her by the shoulders, tethering her to him and hoping it will make his next words sink into her soul.

"Because I love _you_, Regina," he says fiercely, his eyes frantic, the tip of his nose almost brushing hers because of how close they are. The rain has soaked them by now, but neither of them cares.

Regina lifts her head to look at him, and he smiles tenderly at her bewildered expression, as if she can't possibly have heard him correctly, so he says it again.

"You reckless, wonderful, impossible woman. I love you, and I want to dedicate my life to making you happy," his fervent words wash over her and tears begin to fall, his hand cupping her cheek as he looks into her eyes, not allowing her to turn away from him as he smiles at her.

"How? I killed your wife," she whispers brokenly, the sound of her voice almost drowned by the rain.

"Technically, you didn't. She's here, isn't she?"

"You said you would've walked through hell to be with her again."

"Yes, and I meant it. But I also meant it when I told you that I let her go. Yes, she's back now, and yes, the situation is complicated and will take great efforts to fix it. I don't want to hurt Marian, she's the mother of my child, but that's all she is now. You, Regina, you are everything to me."

"But why—" she begins to ask, but Robin puts a finger to her lips, grinning down at her.

"Just shut up and kiss me, your majesty," he says, and she breaks, crashing her mouth to his in an instant and finally letting herself _feel _his love_. _The second her lips touch his, nothing else matters. He's here and he loves her, everything else becomes irrelevant.

They make it to her car and his lips are desperate against hers, the tip of his tongue seeking passage to explore her mouth even as his arms wind around her and hold her tightly, hands roaming her back and threading into her hair while the rain keeps pouring against the closed windows, concealing their gasps and moans from the outside world. Regina has no idea when or how it happens, but at one point his shirt is off, and her nails are digging into his back as he kisses her collarbone, her neck, her cheek, her lips, his tongue leaving a hot trail on her skin even as he murmurs "I love you," over and over again, trying desperately to show her how much he means it.

"Stunning in every way," he whispers when he finally gets her clothes off and looks down at her naked form, and Regina can feel the tears forming in her eyes again, but he kisses them away, his body moving in time with hers as he claims her, and there is no sound more delicious to him than that of her moaning his name as he moves and touches her everywhere, his hands never stopping their exploration of her beautiful body, reverently running down her sides, to her stomach and back up to her breasts. He feels the heat from her skin, the softness of her touch, and everything is right in his world again. He had missed her so much.

Afterwards, they lie together on the backseat of Regina's car, her lithe frame cuddled up on top of his body, his jacket draped loosely over her. Her hands are on his bare chest, fingers roaming in random patterns as she kisses every inch of his skin that she can find, and he hums contentedly, one of his hands playing with her hair while the other traces her face.

"I must admit, I never imagined our first time together to be like this," Robin says, breaking the silence.

"Like what?"

"Bumpy, closed quarters and a storm rumbling above us," he explains with a chuckle.

"You had some big plan I didn't know about?" she asks in amusement, and he bites his lip before deciding to just go for it and telling her the truth.

"I had always pictured it would happen in a bed, for starters. I wanted it to be after a very romantic night of dinner and wine, with candles and rose petals maybe," he says, and she gives him a tender smile.

"This is better," she says after a while, and it makes him laugh as she kisses him.

Because she's right, this is so much better.


	4. Let Loose

**_When asked what she'd do with Regina if she got to spend the day with her, Lana said she'd probably take her for a night out on the town and do tequila shots. Obviously, I couldn't let that go without writing a fic about Regina having a few too many tequila shots.  
_**

**_This is set right after Emma returns to Storybrooke, before Henry and the others get their memories back._**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_xoxo_**

* * *

"I knew I'd find you here," a voice says from behind her, and she scowls.

"I don't want to talk to you… or anyone for that matter," Regina replies, but Tinkerbell is persistent and instead of leaving, she sits next to her on the tree trunk, her face sympathetic.

"You really do love him, don't you?" she asks her.

"Of course I do, he's my _son,_" Regina replies, and her voice breaks a little at the end. Henry has no memory of her, and despite all the pain and misery she's suffered over the years, nothing has ever hurt as much as seeing him stare blankly at her and introduce himself, as if Regina was just some acquaintance of Emma's instead of the woman who raised him, who loved him since the moment he came into her life, who gave up everything she knew to make him happy.

"You know if I had a way to make him remember, I would, right?" Tinkerbell ventures.

"Why would you even care about helping me, even if you could? I ruined your life," Regina fires back.

"Yes, but you didn't really mean to, you were just scared, and I understand that now, after seeing how much you've gone through. As for wanting to help you, well, I guess it's what friends do."

"Oh, so we're friends now?" Regina asks bitterly, finally turning to look at her.

"I'm afraid so. Such a terrible fate, but what can you do?" Tinkerbell shrugs, grinning a little at her, and Regina feels the corners of her mouth twitch a bit, but refuses to smile back.

"Well, _friend,_ I just want to be alone, so go away," she murmurs, her tone isn't unkind, but it is final.

"Actually, I have a better idea," Tinkerbell replies mischievously.

"What are you talking about?"

"You need to let loose, Regina, you need to just enjoy yourself for a while. You can transport us with your magic, let's go somewhere!"

"Where?"

"I don't know, a fancy party, an exotic landmark, anywhere you want, let's just leave Storybrooke for a bit, this realm is so large! We might as well explore it."

"I don't want to go anywhere," Regina says.

"It doesn't do you any good to just sit here in the middle of the woods and cry, Regina. Come on, let's just go somewhere and have a drink," Tinkerbell says, and the excitement in her voice makes the whole thing begin to sound tempting to the queen, who raises an eyebrow at her.

"Anywhere?" she asks.

"Anywhere," the fairy answers with a wink, knowing she has her.

"Fine," Regina huffs, "but just one drink," she says.

"Of course," is Tinkerbell's amused reply.

In an instant, purple smoke surrounds them, and before she knows it, Tinkerbell finds herself standing next to Regina on pavement that wasn't there before, staring up at the entrance to some establishment from which music is blaring.

"Where are we?" she asks.

"Boston," Regina replies.

"That doesn't seem very exciting," Tinkerbell asks with a frown.

"You said anywhere."

"Fine, alright, let's go have a drink," the fairy replies, not wanting to make Regina take them back to Storybrooke just yet.

They walk inside and directly to the bar, where they take a seat in the stools and wait for the bartender to show up. He's handsome, with dark hair that falls above hazel eyes and a strong jaw lined with a bit of scruff. He's wearing a tight black T-shirt that showcases his well-defined arms, a short black apron tied around his waist over his jeans. When he sees them, he throws a lazy grin their way and stares at them appraisingly.

"Never seen you gorgeous creatures here before, what can I get you?" he asks, his voice a seductive baritone.

"Apple martini for me, and for her—" Regina begins, but Tinkerbell shuts her off, leaning forward on the bar and giving the man a cheeky smirk.

"Two shots of tequila, please," she says, and he nods at her, grin still in place as he goes to fetch her order. Regina turns to look at her.

"Tequila? Really?" she asks.

"Emma introduced me to it, I'm afraid I've become quite fond of it," Tinkerbell says, smiling at the queen. Regina scowls a little at the mention of Emma, but turns back to the bartender, who has just shown up in front of her, holding three shot glasses in one hand and a bottle of tequila in the other.

"Here we go, ladies, hope you don't mind me joining you," he says as he pours the shots, then brings a small salt shaker and places it in front of them, along with three lime wedges. Regina goes to take the salt shaker from him, but instead, he moves it away from her reach and shakes some salt into his hand, right in the L-shaped area between his thumb and index finger, and then offers his hand to her.

"Go on, beautiful," he says to her, and Regina flinches away in indignation.

"What makes you think I'm going to lick your hand? That is highly unsanitary," she says in disgust, and Tinkerbell laughs.

"Oh come on! Lighten up!" she says. The handsome bartender merely smiles, his eyes never leaving Regina's as he licks the salt from his hand before he downs the shot and lets Tinkerbell place a lime wedge in his mouth.

"Maybe the next one, then," he says when he discards the lime, and walks away to tend to other customers.

"I think he likes you," Tinkerbell says knowingly, smirking at her. Regina huffs and drinks her tequila straight up, the salt and lime left intact on the counter in front of her.

"What are you doing?" the fairy asks when she sees Regina pulling out some money from her wallet.

"We agreed on one drink, we've had our one drink, now we go back," the queen says, but Tinkerbell stops her.

"Let's have another."

"No."

"The idea of this was for you to relax, you're not relaxed. Come on, one more," Tink insists, and before Regina can protest, the bartender has refilled her shot glass.

"Listen to your friend, you look like you could use some time off from… whatever it is that's plaguing you," he says, and she notices that his tone has softened, no longer intending to seduce, just a friendly observation. Regina exhales and grabs the shot glass, looking at Tinkerbell with wary eyes.

"I am so going to regret this," she says before downing the second shot.

* * *

Nine shots later, Regina is laughing, letting the bartender -whose name she now knows to be Ryan- pour some salt on her hand.

"Are you sure? Isn't it 'highly unsanitary' for you to do this?" he asks with a knowing smirk, and she glares at him playfully, offering him her hand.

"Do it," she says, her eyes dancing. Ryan smiles, and then licks the salt from her hand, wiggling his eyebrows at her when she giggles at the sensation of his tongue on her skin before drinking the shot of tequila she just bought him. Tinkerbell is giggling as she watches them.

Two more shots after that, and Ryan is holding her by the waist from behind as they dance during his break from manning the bar. Tinkerbell is on her stool, watching and swaying to the music with a lazy smile on her face, happy to see the great and terrible Evil Queen allow herself to just be a carefree woman for a change. Regina feels exhilarated, never having been with a man like this. The dancing was sensual, slow and intense even as the music thumped and picked up speed. There was no hurry in his movements, and his hands grasped her tightly against him, her back against his chest and his cheek resting next to hers, his breath ghosting the side of her face. She revels in the physical connection, something easy and safe and _fun_, her head leaning back on his shoulder as she breathes him in. His scent is not at all unpleasant, but it's not what she's looking for. Though what exactly it is that she's looking for, she has no idea.

After one last shot, Regina announces it's time to leave, and a sleepy Tinkerbell doesn't really have it in her to argue, grinning at Ryan and thanking him for a lovely time. He smiles in return and catches Regina's hand after she shrugs her coat on.

"Will I see you again?" he asks, and Tinkerbell giggles and hiccups as she leans into Regina's side, Ryan merely grins at her.

"I'm afraid not," she says with a smile, "but we had a very nice time," she finishes. That easy smile of his never leaves his face even as he takes her hand in his and kisses it.

"I don't even know your name," he says.

"It's R—" Tinkerbell starts, but Regina quickly moves the arm she has around the fairy and clamps her hand on her mouth.

"It's better that way," she says to Ryan, removing her other hand from his grip while smiling at him, and he nods in understanding.

"Should I call you a cab?" he asks.

"Oh, that won't be necessary, we, uh… someone's picking us up in a few minutes," Regina lies, and he nods again, winking at her and blowing a kiss at Tink before he walks back inside the bar.

"He is so pretty," Tinkerbell says with a sigh, and Regina can't help but laugh at her.

"And you are so drunk," she replies.

"So are you!" Tink accuses when she sees Regina stumble as she walks, "this was really fun."

"It was," Regina admits, giggling at the fairy's attempts at walking in a straight line, though it doesn't escape her notice that she can't do it either.

* * *

Giggling and laughing like schoolgirls, they spin around in purple smoke when Regina's sure no one can see them, and in seconds, they're back in Storybrooke, right in the middle of Main Street, the clock tower looming above them.

"I thought we were going to the Rabbit Hole?" Tinkerbell asks in confusion.

"I guess I just… got lost," Regina says, and after a second of looking at each other, they burst out laughing, holding on to each other as they walk to the town bar, making quite a spectacle of themselves as they stumble in, demanding tequila in loud voices, much to the surprise of the people there. Killian, who is sipping some rum with another man at the counter, sees them and beckons them over.

"I see you ladies decided to have an adventure tonight," he quips.

"Oh, like you've never done it before," Tinkerbell says, waving him off. Killian smiles at the fairy, then takes her hand.

"I think you should go get some sleep," he says when he realizes she is giggling with her eyes closed.

"Noooooooo, tequila!" Tinkerbell replies, and Regina laughs from where she stands behind her, shouting "yes, tequila!" in agreement. Killian chuckles at them.

"You too should get some rest, your majesty, I sense this tequila won't be so kind to you in the morning," he says, and Regina nods solemnly, though a snort breaks through her and suddenly she's laughing again.

"You take her, I'll see to Regina," a voice says from behind them, and Regina realizes that Killian's companion was none other than Robin Hood.

"You'll 'see to me'? How darrrre you? I am your queeeeeen!" she slurs, though she can't contain her laughter. Robin can't help but smirk at her, finding her drunkenness utterly endearing.

"Come on, your majesty, don't want to give your subjects a show," he says, gesturing for her to walk ahead of him while Killian lifts an already asleep Tinkerbell into his arms.

"I'll take her to Swan's room at Granny's, she can spend the night there," the pirate tells Robin, who nods in agreement and then catches up to Regina, who is already stumbling out the door. He puts a hand on the small of her back to steady her as they walk to her house, hoping the fresh air will help her clear her head, but instead it seems to fuel her current state, making her skip around and hold on to a lamppost, walking in circles around it as she sings silly songs that don't make sense to him.

"We should really get you home," Robin interrupts her singing, offering his hand to her. She pouts, and it takes everything in him not to lean forward and catch that stuck-out bottom lip with his mouth.

"You're no fun, I want Tink back," she says in a way that would rival the pleas of any petulant child.

"Tinkerbell is asleep," he replies patiently.

"No she's not she's just resting her eyes, she told me so herself!" Regina insists, and Robin chuckles at her, his hands darting out to hold her waist when she trips over her own feet.

Slowly, they walk until they've rounded the corner of her street and reached her door, but Regina can't seem to even be able to get the key in the lock, so Robin does it for her and walks her up the stairs, leaving her in her bathroom to change while he goes down to fetch her some water.

When he returns to her room, it is to find her in her pajamas, half asleep on the bathroom floor with a lazy smile on her face as she leans back against the outer edge of her bathtub. Shaking his head in amusement, Robin sets the glass of water on her night table and then goes back to the bathroom, lifting her in his arms. Her head immediately falls against his chest, sighing in appreciation as she breathes him in. Ryan had smelled of smoke and cologne and hints of the tequila he'd drank with her, but Robin's scent was softer, less aggressive, more natural, like pine trees and rain and…

"You smell like forest," she says, giggling a little as she grabs his jacket tightly and burrows further into him, the woodsy smell of him soothing her. He chuckles at her observation as he sets her down on the bed, drawing the covers up to her waist before he helps her drink the water he procured for her.

When she's done, she turns on her stomach and lets her head drop back on the pillow, sighing contentedly as she closes her eyes, and her deep breathing alerts Robin to the fact that she's fallen asleep, her hand now grasping the hem of his jacket as he sits next to her on the bed. Quietly, he extricates himself from her, but the movement wakes her for a moment and she tightens her hold on his jacket, bringing him closer.

"No," she mumbles, "don't leave, I like the smell of forest," and Robin laughs quietly at her words.

"As you wish, milady," he murmurs back with a grin, moving to sit more comfortably on the bed next to her, running his fingers through her hair as he watches her drift off again, the happy hum his ministrations elicit from her sending a shudder through his entire body.

* * *

The next morning, Regina is awoken by sunlight. Retched, annoying sunlight that filters through her window and shines directly on her face, making her open her eyes and thus trigger the horrible headache tequila always causes her. She should've known better than to drink it, should've known better than to listen to _Tinkerbell _of all people. Her head is pounding, and the chirping of the birds outside only serves to annoy her further. She stretches out on her bed, moving around until her hand catches something that shouldn't be there. In a flash, memories from the previous night come to her, and she flinches as she remembers her pathetic display at the Rabbit Hole. Her fingers grasp the dark green jacket and she groans, remembering how Robin had had to open her door, walk her to her room and even carry her and tuck her into her own bed because she was too drunk to do so herself. Had she really told him he smelled like _forest_?! How embarrassing. This was not supposed to happen, all she'd wanted to do was escape from her pain for a little while, and she had ended up behaving like an idiot in front of the townspeople, in front of _him._

As she brings the jacket closer to her, she finds a note poised on top of it. Squinting, she brings it closer to her face to read the elegant handwriting.

_Keep it._

Regina stares at the note, smiling despite herself. She doesn't feel the headache anymore, merely wrapping herself up in Robin's jacket and letting his scent lull her back to sleep.

* * *

_**I know there wasn't much Outlaw Queen in this one but I wanted it to be more about Regina. I wanted something that was just about her letting go of everything for once, and I don't think she could've done that if Robin had been there making her all tingly and confused.**_

_**However, I intend to write another fic with this same prompt that includes a lot more interaction between Regina and Robin so fear not!**_

_**Let me know what you think of this one!**_

_**-B**_


	5. Worship

_**Because sexy drunk Outlaw Queen is always a good thing.**_

_**Happy Friday!**_

_**-B**_

* * *

There's an eerie silence at the bar when he enters, which is unusual for a place like The Rabbit Hole, where everyone always seems to be in good spirits as they down their drinks. Not tonight though, tonight, everyone is quiet, and when he looks at the only occupied stool on the counter, Robin realizes why. It's because _she_ is here.

It's strange to see the queen at the bar, as she seldom seeks to be out in public like this, least of all now when everyone thinks she cast the curse that brought them back here. Robin knows it wasn't her, he has no idea why he knows, but he does. Something in him tells him she didn't do it, and he has never had any reason to doubt his gut.

She's nursing some sort of cocktail, he notices, and frowns at the way she absentmindedly stirs the drink with her straw. No one bothers her, but everyone keeps glancing her way every few seconds, and he's certain she feels it, because her shoulders are hunched and her eyes are looking down, not making contact with anyone in the room. For some reason, he walks toward her, drawn as he always is by her presence. Her hair frames her face as she looks down at her drink, and he sits on the stool next to her, orders two shots of tequila, and silently slides one to her with his left hand.

She looks up, astonished when she finds him sitting there.

"Whatever that is," he says, pointing to her drink, "you look like you could use something stronger."

His voice is low, husky and sensual though he never meant it to come out that way, but it seems he can't help it when he's around her, there's just _something_ about this woman that drives him mad with lust. She takes the shot silently, tipping her head back as she drinks it before taking the lime wedge he offers her and biting into it, and he's mesmerized by the way her hair catches the dim light from the lamp above them. He itches to run his fingers through her dark tresses, but refrains from doing so, knowing it would only make her angrier than she already seemed to be.

"Want to talk about it?" he asks, and she shakes her head but speaks anyway.

"My son doesn't know who I am."

"I'm sorry," he says sincerely, "it must be truly awful," she gives a bitter laugh.

"I deluded myself into thinking I'd have him back. I knew he wouldn't recognize me, but I was a fool and hoped that he would anyway."

"It's only natural to hope for the best, your majesty," he counters, but she shakes her head again.

"I cast the spell," she says as she downs a second shot of tequila when he offers it, "I knew how it worked, I don't know why I even let myself think that I could be reunited with him."

"Because you love him, that's why," he says as he watches her bite into another lime wedge and dump it in the small plate the bartender has laid out for them, and she's so surprised at the simplicity and the truth of his statement that she finds herself tearing up without meaning to, moving her hand to her face quickly to wipe the traitorous drops away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," he apologizes, but she waves it off.

"I'm a mess, it's not your fault," she says, and then she is startled when his hand makes contact, his fingers ghosting over hers as he focuses his eyes on her face.

"You will get your son back, milady," he assures her, and she smiles in thanks for his kindness, but doesn't quite believe him.

"That doesn't feel possible," she says as she looks back down to the empty shot glass, the third one she's had since he arrived. Robin's touch loses its hesitance, fingers grasping hers firmly and prompting her to look at him.

"You are the queen, surely you won't back down from this challenge?" he asks.

"The queen," she scoffs, "queen of a wasteland I was cast out of by a curse that took away a year of my memories and made me face my son, without him having any knowledge of me," she tells him. Robin then narrows his eyes at her curiously, his hand holding his chin, making him look deep in thought.

"I suppose, when you put it that way, alcohol is definitely a good distraction," he concedes, and after a few seconds, he motions for the bartender to pour them both another shot, making her laugh.

"You have such a wonderful laugh, it's a shame you don't show it often," he comments.

"I don't have many reasons to laugh these days," she says, but blushes at his compliment.

"Perhaps I could… help you find a few," he replies, smiling at her, but it's not the big, kind smile she's seen him give the others around town. No, this smile is subtle, but intense in its nature, meant for lustful appraisal, not comfort.

She doesn't know why she's engaging him, perhaps it's the alcohol, perhaps it's her need to feel something other than despair, but she finds herself enjoying his company.

"Are you trying to seduce me, thief?" she asks jokingly, though she's throwing a seductive smile of her own his way.

"I wouldn't dream of it, your majesty," he says, but he winks at her before his eyes roam her figure, leaning closer to her and setting his sight on her lips. She can feel his breath on her face, the smell of the tequila lingering in the air as she licks her lips and stares at him. Before she can act on her impulses, however, he raises his hand in front of her, showing her a lime wedge before he tilts his head towards the countertop. Refusing to lose –though she has no idea what it is they're playing-, she chugs back the newest shot she's been poured at the same time he does his, hissing at the bitter aftertaste of the tequila as it runs down her throat. Seconds later, Robin is leaning even closer, looking at her mouth as she bites into the lime wedge he holds up to her, feeling her lips brush against his fingers, and every single person in the bar is staring at them.

"Care to join me for a walk?" Robin asks, aware of their audience. She nods and allows him to lead her out of the bar after he's taken care of the bill.

As the cold air and silence of the outside envelops them, Regina feels something shift in him and suddenly, he's grabbing her hand, walking hurriedly to a nearby alley and holding her against the wall, a surprised whimper escaping her when _finally, _he crashes his lips to hers in a hungry kiss. Their mouths explore each other, tongues tangling and pushing deliciously, and he moans when he feels her bite down on his bottom lip.

"Regina," he gasps. It's the first time he's said her name, and the reverence with which he utters it as his fingers skim under the hem of her shirt rocks her to the core. She grabs at him, fisting her hands in his jacket as she pulls him closer, feeling his body slam against hers, trapping her between him and the wall behind her. She doesn't mind. In fact, she welcomes it, her lips insistent against his as he grunts into her mouth. It is desperate and raw and sensual and many other things she can't quite name, and she burns with need for it.

The coarse hair on his jaw now tickles her neck as he dips his head down to kiss her shoulder, his hands touching her everywhere, and she's very aware that anyone could turn into the alley and see them, but she can't bring herself to care. A primal, deep sound reaches her ears when his hand closes over her breast above her shirt and with a start, she realizes the sound came from her, the feeling of his tongue on her neck and his hands on her breasts eliciting reactions from her body that she never thought possible.

Soon, the hurried kisses become languid and soft, the urgency lost as they continue learning each other, her arms around his waist while his hands are tangled in her hair, and the gentle way he pulls at it while he kisses her only serves to make her whimper into his mouth. He swallows her moans, her gasps, enjoying the taste of lime and tequila and something that is hers and hers alone. The movements of her tongue are intoxicating, the feeling of her lips dancing against his making him grind his hips into hers slowly, sensually. She is fire and rain and calm and storm all at once, and it thrills him like nothing else ever has.

When they stop long enough to open their eyes, he looks into the chocolate depths she reveals to him, his fingers never leaving her hair. It's so soft and beautiful, he can't keep his hands off it.

She sighs as she sags against him and begins to feel dizzy, whether from the alcohol or from what just happened, she can't be sure. Robin grins at her, planting a chaste kiss on her lips before he pulls away and offers her his arm, and they walk quietly back to her house, where he lingers by the door, not sure of what to do. Regina senses his nerves, and knows that he fears she'll regret this tomorrow when she's sober, and she aches to tell him that she won't, but no words come out of her mouth.

Instead, she kisses him softly, indulging in the feeling of his lips against hers again before taking hold of his hand and bringing him inside with her. To her surprise, he shakes his head when she attempts to lead him upstairs to the bedroom.

"I want to. Believe me, milady, I want to," he says, his eyes darkening as he pictures her, naked and willing underneath him, "but I mustn't."

"Why not?" she asks.

"It wouldn't be right, considering how much we've had to drink. I'd rather this happen when we're both of a clear mind," he says, and she accepts his reasoning, even if it angers her because she knows that once the effects of that dreadful tequila wear off, she won't have the guts to pursue this, but it's like he can read her thoughts and he reaches for her, bringing her closer.

"You are exquisite," he breathes in her ear, planting a kiss on her neck before pulling back to look at her, "I want to take my time with you. Drunken fumbling hardly seems like the proper way to worship a queen," he finishes, and she raises an eyebrow at him.

"Worship?" she asks, and he bites her bottom lip gently.

"Oh yes, your majesty, I fully intend to worship all of you," he says, and his words and his voice and the intensity in his eyes make her breath hitch as she leans her forehead against his. He smiles, loving that he can affect her as much as she affects him.

Slowly, he pulls back and takes her hand, planting a lingering kiss on it.

"Good night, your majesty," he says with a wink.

"Good night, thief," she replies.

The promise of another meeting passes between them, though it goes unspoken, and Regina allows herself to smile in anticipation as she watches him go. She's never been worshipped before, this should be interesting.


	6. Of Smiles and Mischief

_**This is short and sweet and merely to fulfill the feels requirement of two awesome Tumblr people who presented the idea. So Marica and Alex, I hope this satisfies your deleted scene prompt! I wanted to make it a bit longer, but anything I came up with just ended up sucking. I can work on a mini sequel though, if you guys want me to =)**_

_**Anyway yeah, this is basically a bit of a headcanon as to what happens after that deleted scene where Snow sees the letter from Regina and realizes she won't be coming back. The idea for the fic was that Snow realizes what's happening between Robin and Regina and she and Charming decide to launch Operation Outlaw Queen.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

Relief. Unhindered, body-crushing relief.

That's what Snow feels when she sees Regina waiting for them at the castle doors.

It had startled her, the amount of sorrow the queen's short letter had brought her, and it had only served to make her more certain that Regina was no longer the evil being that had hunted her down all those years ago. She was sad, she was lonely, and above all, she missed her child. Snow could relate to that wholeheartedly, but where she battled her sadness with hope, Regina didn't even attempt to fight hers. Instead, she let it take over, simply because she felt like she deserved to suffer.

The queen looks unfazed, the short train of her imposing black cloak pooling on the floor as she stands, statuesque and beautiful against the main door of their home. Snow walks faster, wanting to reach her and hug her and shake her and yell at her for even thinking of surrendering to her grief in such a way.

Regina spots her in the short distance, her eyes focusing on how Snow walks purposefully towards her and she knows. She knows they'll have to talk about it at some point, but she is not ready to do that, so she turns her back when she makes sure nothing is coming after the arriving party and walks back inside the castle to wait for them, hoping it'll at least give her some time to prepare for the conversation.

"Are you alright?" the thief's voice says from where he stands behind her, in the corner of the grand hall.

"It seems I have some explaining to do," Regina replies, tilting her head in the direction of the people now filing in through the doors. Robin's eyes settle on the princess and he smirks at the mix of anger and concern he sees on her face before he turns back to the queen.

Regina is looking down at the floor, not in the mood to discuss anything with anyone. He bends his knees a little so that his face is below her, well in her field of vision, catching her eyes with his and holding her gaze as he straightens again, bringing her head back up.

"I can talk to her for you, if you'd like," he suggests, and it takes everything in him not to reach out and run the backs of his fingers down her cheek. Ever since he'd stopped her from cursing herself, since he'd seen that vulnerable side of her, something in him had snapped, and now there was a physical pull, a need to protect her, to care for her, even if she did drive him mad sometimes.

"It's fine, I'll deal with it," she finally says, straightening her posture as she walks towards the new arrivals.

Snow remains standing by the entrance. It is Robin's sweet smile that has baffled her. That tender way in which he looks at Regina is the first thing that registers when she sees them talking in whispers to each other, and then she says something and he smiles at her knowingly, like he can't possibly be prouder of her. Understanding dawns on Snow and she hastily puts her hands behind her back, hiding Regina's note. The Prince of Thieves and The Evil Queen… who would've thought?

"Go ahead, do your worst," Regina's voice snaps her from her musings, and Snow merely gives the queen a content smile.

"I'm glad you're still here," is all she says when Regina raises an eyebrow at her, and the queen looks taken aback by the words for a second before she schools her features.

"Yes, well, I said I would help," she replies in a bored tone, and Snow nods silently before diverting her attention to her husband, who has just closed the heavy castle door behind the last members of their group. With a whispered "thank you" and a squeeze of Regina's hand, Snow walks away.

"Robin Hood? Really?" David asks her when she relays what she's seen.

"I know, I was surprised too!"

"Snow, don't you think you're overreacting? Maybe he was just concerned," her husband insists.

"David, I know what I saw."

"And what exactly was that? A smile doesn't really tell us much."

"On the contrary, it tells us everything," she said, and regaled him with one full of love, making him plant a chaste kiss on her lips in return.

"Okay, what do you suppose we do?" he asks with a grin of his own.

"I have no idea. She's too proud and he's too stubborn, it'll be very difficult," she says, and David looks pensive for a moment before he wraps her in his arms.

"Well then, I suppose it's time we get the outlaw and his queen some time alone, what do you say we make them patrol the castle for the night?" he says mischievously, and Snow nods enthusiastically.

"That is a great idea."

* * *

"That's it, I'm done!" Regina exclaims one day as she bursts through the doors of the council hall and leans her palms against the table in front of them.

"What's wrong?" Snow asks.

"I cannot work with that man!"

"Robin?"

"No, the tooth fairy. Yes, Robin!"

"Did something happen?" David asks her.

"He threw a dead rat at me!" Regina shrieks, and then they hear a scoff and turn around to see Robin standing by the doors.

"It was a squirrel, and I didn't throw it _at_ you, you just happened to be there when I disposed of it," he counters, "if you don't want to have dead animals landing on you then stay the hell out of my way when I'm cleaning out the traps!"

"That is no way to speak to me, you uncultured swine! I am your queen!" she screams, drawing herself up to her full height.

"Well then, stay the hell out of my way, _your majesty!_"

"Alright, alright, enough!" David interrupts, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at them.

It goes on like that for months, but Snow and David remain strong in their plan, pairing their two unlikely victims together whenever there's a search, a patrol, even a council meeting. Sometimes they can hear Regina scream all throughout the castle, and Robin has now taken to provoking her whenever possible, but it doesn't escape Snow that every single time he manages to tick her off, he smirks fondly to himself as he watches her make a dramatic exit, and every time she gets on his nerves and he stalks off in a rage, the tightness in Regina's eyes seems to ease a little, replaced with amusement and a spark Snow never thought to see there again.

* * *

**_Like I said, short but sweet... I hope you guys liked it! I apologize for any mistakes or grammatical horrors you might have seen, I'm in the middle of GISHWHES, which means I haven't slept in 4 days, so I'm a bit out of my game._**

**_Let me know what you think!_**

**_-B_**


	7. Maybe It's Possible

**_This is for secondchanceforoq from Tumblr, who prompted a discussion about this scene with me and inspired me to write my take on it!_**

**_So I don't know if you've noticed, but in 3x18, right before Regina kisses Robin, it looks like she's going to say something to him and then when he starts apologizing about losing her heart she just kinda stops herself from saying whatever it is she went there to say... and then in the end she just cuts his rambling off with that fantastic kiss. This is my interpretation of what Regina's thought process was regarding that moment and what prompted her to just throw caution to the wind and kiss the man already._**

**_Alex! I hope this is somewhat what you had in mind._**

**_-B_**

* * *

_You feel things deeply, you feel things with your whole soul._

_Sooner or later, your heart will find its way to happiness._

Snow's words kept popping up in Regina's head as she walked into the forest, heading in the direction of the glimmering light in the distance. She had no idea what she was doing here or how she was even going to approach the subject, but something had snapped in her after that emotionally draining encounter with the ghost of her mother, something that had pushed her on this very path towards the Merry Men's camp.

Cora had lived a life of scorn and resentment, which she had then passed on to Regina when her plans to gain power didn't take, making her daughter into the pawn she used to exact vengeance on her enemies and ruining her life in the process. Regina didn't begrudge her mother her actions, she simply couldn't bring herself to do it, but she was beginning to understand that her life had always been about Cora, what _she _wanted, what _she _wished for them, and it had led them to an endless downward spiral of anger and bitterness that had only ever made them that much more miserable. Well, no more. For the first time since her mother's death, Regina embraced the idea that she could finally do whatever made her happy, that while she mourned Cora's passing, the fact was that she was no longer around to manipulate her into pursuing a course she did not want to take.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Regina was free to _choose_, and it scared her.

Snow White of all people, had been the one to soothe her. She'd made her understand that she could choose to be happy, she could choose to let go of the anger that had plagued her for so long, she could choose hope, she could choose love.

Regina had gone down that path once before and when Tinkerbell had shown her that happiness was possible, she'd run away in fear. She would not do that again.

The light from the fire flickered as she moved through the trees, and then she saw him, sitting on a log that lay on the floor, a stick in his hand as he stoked the fire. It was time, she had to tell him.

He heard her approach and instantly stood up to welcome her, apologies tumbling from his lips before she could even utter a word.

"I'm sorry, I let you down. Your heart was lost to Zelena on _my _watch, but I promise you, I will get it back."

She had prepared a whole speech in her head, had planned to tell him the entire story, from Daniel to Cora to Tinkerbell and her pixie dust, every last detail, right down to the significance of his lion tattoo, but as she watched him, so flustered and ashamed, berating himself over surrendering the prized possession she'd left in his charge, Regina found that she couldn't speak, rendered speechless by his fervent vow to recover her heart.

_Don't let anything hold you back,_ Snow's voice echoed in her head.

Before she could allow herself even a second to overthink her next actions and regret them before they even happened, Regina fisted her hands in Robin's chest, pulling him down by his jacket and crashing her lips to his.

Nothing, absolutely _nothing_ could have prepared her for the way it felt to kiss him. It was like fire and ice and wild and tender all at once, and she loved it. He was too shocked to fully respond, it seemed, but her mouth lingered against his, the force of the kiss making him stumble into her just a little. She kept her hands on his jacket, only letting go when their lips parted with a soft smack. She could see the storm in his eyes, the surprise, the uncertainty, and for a split second she considered running away, because she couldn't bear it if he rejected her after what had just happened. But then Robin let out a breath and brought her back against him, seeking her lips again and finally, _deliciously_ kissing her back. His left hand held her by the waist while his right threaded in her hair, playing with the dark tresses as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss, and the taste of him was intoxicating beyond anything she had ever imagined, making her gasp into his mouth.

They pulled apart, panting as they huddled closer to each other, and Regina couldn't help the giddy smile that lit up her face when he smirked at her and touched his forehead to hers, closing his eyes and sighing, his warm breath brushing against her cheek.

"Why, your majesty, that was a very bold move on your part," he teased, kissing the tip of her nose when her smile grew wider.

"You did say I was bold and audacious," she fired back, and her words amused him, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he brought his hand out of her hair and cupped her face.

"I _will _get back your heart," he vowed again, his eyes boring into hers as his thumb caressed her cheek.

"I know you will," she replied, letting her head fall into his chest as he held her, his lips in her hair, and at last Regina could see what Snow had been talking about. Here, feeling warm and giddy and tingly in Robin's arms, Regina finally understood that maybe, just maybe, her happiness wasn't such an impossible thing after all.


	8. Let Loose - Part 2

_**Okay so, I figured we'd all need something light and cute and fun after the terrible news of Robin Williams' death. I'm still devastated that someone who brought so much joy to the world could be quietly suffering so much anguish. PLEASE, if you or someone you know needs help, SEEK IT! You can save lives simply by listening and encouraging one another, never forget that. And know that if you need someone to talk to, I'm always here to listen.  
**_

_**Now, a lot of people have approached me on Twitter and Tumblr asking for a sequel to Let Loose (Chapter 4 in this compilation), so I thought I'd get on that before moving on to other prompts. I'm focusing on Take My Heart Back for the most part these days, as I want to finish it before the season 4 premiere, but I'm still taking prompts and requests on Tumblr so keep them coming!**_

_**Anyway, I hope you guys like it.**_

_**PS: I own nothing.**_

* * *

"I believe this is yours?" a voice says from behind him, and Robin turns to find the queen standing by his tent, his green jacket in her hand. He's stunned for a second, as he always is when he sets eyes on her, and today, with her gray trousers and burgundy shirt, hair glinting in the late afternoon sunlight that filters through the trees, Robin is certain she has never looked lovelier.

"I thought I told you to keep it?" he asks as he nods to the jacket in her hand, amused at the off-handed tone she had used to speak. He can see the bags under her eyes, the pallor of her skin, and he knows she has not altogether recovered from the previous night, but his attraction for her does not dwindle.

"Please don't make this more mortifying than it already is," she replies, holding the jacket out to him again. Robin only shakes his head, smiling at her.

"It's perfectly alright. I quite enjoyed taking care of you," he tells her, and it's the intensity in his eyes as he speaks that makes her blush. Looking down, she walks closer to him and shoves the jacket in his hands, turning to leave before he can say anything else, but he quickly drapes the garment over his shoulder and goes after her, his hand grabbing hold of her arm.

"Please," he says, finally getting her to turn around to face him, "there's no need to be embarrassed, milady. I promise you, nothing you did has made me think any less of you," the hand that held her now drags down her arm to her wrist, his fingers tangling loosely with hers for a brief moment before he lets go and stares into her eyes with something akin to passion. Regina has no idea what's happening, cannot understand what he's playing at, and it scares her. It scares her because it feels good, it scares her because whatever it is that he's doing, she doesn't want him to stop.

"Don't lie for my benefit. I remember enough to know I acted like an idiot," she says, trying her hardest not to lean into him when he steps closer to her.

"I'm not lying," he tells her, and now he's so close that Regina can't seem to look away from the deep blue of his eyes, "in fact, I think you make a rather adorable drunk," he informs, a lazy smile on his face, as if he is remembering her bouts of idiocy with fondness rather than amusement.

"Excuse me?" she asks, indignant.

"Rambling about the smell of forest and tripping over your own feet, you even pouted at me when I told you it was time to sleep, it was quite endearing," he replies, and she can tell by the way he's looking at her that he means it.

"Besides," he continues, "I was pleased that you asked me to stay."

"Because it gave you front row seats to my 'adorable' displays of stupidity?" she fires back, though the mirth dancing in his eyes is contagious, and she can't help but smirk as she utters the question.

"Because I felt honored that even in your inebriated state, you would trust me enough to want me there with you," he says, his tone vehement, changing the light atmosphere in a split second, "I know how hard it is for you to trust people, Regina, so thank you for granting me that privilege."

To that, she has no reply, so she looks away instead, biting her bottom lip until she feels his thumb gently pulling it away from her teeth. His boldness should anger her, make her throw a fireball at him for even assuming he could touch her like that, but instead she blushes and looks down again, shivering as the sun begins to set and a cold breeze passes through. Robin instantly grabs the jacket from where it still hangs on his shoulder and drapes it around her, and the action makes her grin.

"Thank you," she says.

He walks her home after that, and the lingering goodbyes at her door make her giddy. He seems reluctant to leave, finding excuses to continue talking to her until a yawn escapes her.

"Forgive me, I'm keeping you from your rest," he says.

"Don't worry about it, it's just the hangover," she replies, because there's no use pretending with him at this point.

He waits until she's opened her door, laughing lightly at her.

"What?" she asks.

"It's nice to know you've got your basic motor skills back," he quips, remembering how she had not even been able to get the key in the lock the night before. She rolls her eyes at him.

"Ha, ha, very funny," she says sarcastically, but she's smiling back at him, and it makes his eyes crinkle at the corners as he smirks back at her.

"Good night, milady," he says, taking her hand in his and placing a light kiss on it, and it doesn't escape Regina's notice that her heart flutters at the feeling of his lips brushing against her skin.

"Good night, Robin," she replies, and it's the first time she's called him by his name. It makes him raise an eyebrow at her. She shrugs in response, as if it's no big deal that she's no longer using a disdainful utterance of the word 'thief' to address him.

He watches her walk inside, and suddenly she remembers and turns back to him, removing his jacket from where it rests around her shoulders.

"Here you go," she says, offering the jacket to him once again, but he shakes his head.

"I told you, it's yours," he tells her, refusing to take it.

"I couldn't possibly—" she begins, but he cuts her off, wrapping his hands around hers where they grip the dark green fabric.

"Please, Regina, I insist."

She feels the traitorous blush reach her cheeks when his hands touch hers, and it baffles her how such a simple action has her lusting after this man, but it seems she can't help it.

"Thank you," she finally relents as she walks inside, taking one last look at him before she closes the door.

And if she drifts off to sleep with his jacket draped over her and a smile on her face for the next night or ten, no one would ever know.

* * *

_**I love you all**_

_**-B.**_


	9. About That Scarf

_**So yea, the scarf thing from the set pictures... it hurt. It hurt tons (for those of you who are wondering what the hell I'm talking about: there were BTS pictures today of Robin, Marian and Roland hanging out, and Robin is wearing a scarf that looks EXACTLY like the scarf Regina wore in the finale... cue the feelings). The worst part is that it may not even be addressed on the show... I can't shake the feeling that they'll just pass it off as some ~interesting coincidence and that angers me.**_

_**Anyway, badskin from Tumblr was dying for a fic view of the scarf thing so I wrote it for her.**_

**_Mauwee, I hope this does your head canon justice! Also, taking your first-born would be a little too Dark One of me so I won't be doing that, but thanks for the offer lol. I'll gladly settle for chocolate, though!_ **

* * *

_He's just finished putting his trousers back on when she walks up to him, the top of her gray dress hanging loosely from her shoulders._

"_A little help?" she asks as she turns her back to him, moving her hair to the side so he can zip up the dress. He does so slowly, planting a lingering kiss on the back of her neck and humming as he breathes her in before he turns her around and brushes his lips against hers. She smiles into his kiss, biting his bottom lip gently before she pulls away, and he groans in frustration when her body is no longer flush against his bare chest._

"_None of that, we're late as it is," she chastises, throwing his shirt at him playfully, her face graced with a smile so bright it could rival the sun. He put that smile there, and it feels wonderful._

"_I've changed my mind," he says, sauntering towards her and putting his hands on her waist, "I don't want to go to Granny's."_

"_Why not?" she asks, truly concerned that something has changed._

"_Because I want to stay here," he answers, smiling lazily at her to soothe her worries, "with you," he leans down and drags his lips across her neck, "in bed," he murmurs against her skin, "where I can have my way with you over," he nips her earlobe, "and over," he kisses her jaw, "and over again," he finishes, reveling in the way her breathing stutters as he places a final kiss on the corner of her mouth._

_She shakes her head to clear it from the lust-induced haze his attentions have given her and puts her hands on his chest._

"_That does sound tempting," she tells him, letting her fingernails rake against his chest, whimpering when he pulls her tighter against him, his hands resting low on her hips now. She smiles seductively at him, leaning closer, her nose brushing against his. He closes his eyes, ready to kiss her…_

"_But we can't, we promised Roland we'd take him to the park and then out for ice cream before the party tonight," she says and backs away, laughing at his frustrated growl._

"_Using my own son against me, I see. You do not play fair, your majesty," he says with a pout, and she giggles, light and free and happy while she walks around the room, finding her leather jacket while he pulls on his shirt. When he turns, it is to find her shifting through the many scarves in her closet, and that gives him an idea._

"_Here," he says, standing behind her in front of her full-length mirror and draping his own scarf around the back of her neck, letting the sides fall over to the front on either side of her. Regina looks down at the garment and smiles, the color is rich and soft at the same time, matching the hue of the wine they'd drank by the fireplace earlier. She turns in his arms and looks up at him from under her eyelashes._

"_I'm wearing your things, now?" she asks him, her voice low and husky, and he gives her a devilish smirk as he nods._

"_Why not? I have another scarf in my coat, and this one looks better on you," he replies, bending down to place open mouthed kisses along the column of her neck._

"_Besides," he says against her skin, "I quite like the idea of you wearing something of mine."_

"_And why's that?" she asked suspiciously._

"_Regina, I'm trying to seduce you," he says, tugging on the scarf to bring her closer, "and I won't succeed if you keep interrupting me to ask all these questions. Now, kiss me," he says, and she laughs before indulging in the feeling of his lips on hers. It's sensual and slow, the passion building up with every brush of their lips and every pass of their tongues. When Robin starts feeling for the zipper at the top of her dress, however, Regina stops him._

"_Come on, there'll be plenty of time for this later," she says, raising herself up to bite his bottom lip again, but when she tries to pull away, he holds her in place, engulfing her lips with his again and loving the way she gasps when he presses his body against her._

"_There better be, you've left us good and flustered, milady," he says with a mischievous smile that makes her go weak at the knees, and for a moment she considers dragging him to the bed, their meeting with the Charmings be damned, but her conscience wins out and she stands her ground, moving away from him so they can finish getting dressed._

_When they leave her house, his scarf is wrapped around her neck, his hand holding hers, and they wear matching stupid smiles on their faces._

* * *

She feels it again. That soul-crushing pain of losing what you love, of coming to the realization that you will never be happy no matter what you do, and this time it hurts a million times more, because nothing had been harder for her to do than taking that leap of faith, than embracing the idea that her destiny was entwined with his. She knows she can't blame him, it's not his fault his wife came back, after all, but it doesn't stop her from looking at him with anger and frustration in her eyes as he tries to stop Marian's tirade while everyone in the diner comes outside to inspect the scene.

"You and the Evil Queen?! Are you insane?! What about Roland?! How could you allow him to be near her after everything she's done?! She'll ruin your life! It's what she does, she's a monster!" the woman shrieks, and Regina can do nothing but stare for a moment as Robin tries to appease her, explaining that there is nothing to fear, but Marian isn't listening.

"You imprisoned me, tortured me, and now you're trying to take my family away from me?! I won't let that happen!" she screams at her, and Regina finds her voice at last.

"I do not intend to take anything from you, and I apologize for all your suffering. I know it doesn't fix anything, but I am sorry."

"Your apologies mean nothing, you're evil and vindictive and I don't want you anywhere near me or my family!" Marian berates her again. Regina nods, turning to Roland, who is hiding behind Snow as he watches it all unfold, his face set in an expression that alerts Regina to the fact that he's scared and confused, it makes her heart ache.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," she says as she bends down in front of him, her voice hoarse.

"Regina," Robin begins, but she puts a hand up to stop him from coming closer.

"I should go," she says and removes the scarf from her neck, handing it to him without another word. The gesture breaks Robin, and his heart sinks as he watches her go, unsure of how to act or what to do to make things right.

* * *

For days, Robin tries to embrace his second chance with his wife, taking her around the town, showing her the marvels of this new realm, but something is amiss.

One morning, as he goes through the motions of getting dressed for the day, something falls from his closet. Looking down, he inhales sharply when he realizes it's his burgundy scarf, the one he'd asked Regina to wear the day it all went awry. He remembers shoving it inside his closet that awful night, refusing to look at it for fear he would crumble under the weight of his conflicted emotions. Looking at it now, though, he can't help but remember the good parts of that day, when her kisses and her teasing and her laughter had made for many perfect moments that he wishes he could relive over and over again.

As he puts it on, he notices that her scent still lingers in the soft fabric, and he inhales deeply, missing her.

* * *

Robin wears the scarf every day now, sometimes without even meaning to. One afternoon, when they take Roland for ice cream, Marian notices that there's a sadness in his eyes that he can't seem to shake, and she knows it's because he has feelings for another, but she says nothing, refusing to admit out loud that her husband is in love with the Evil Queen and not her.

Out of respect for Marian and fearful of his own confused feelings, Robin doesn't go to Regina. Instead, he hides in the alley adjacent to Granny's and throws wistful glances her way every day when he sees her walk down the street with her son after lunch. It's the only time of day she's seen in public lately, and he knows it's his fault, he knows it's because she has closed herself off to everything and everyone again, because she's hurt and alone, and it kills him that he's done that to her, especially when his feelings for her continue to burn stronger than anything he's ever felt before. And as he lets his fingers play with the end of the scarf, he realizes that those tiny glimpses of Regina are a balm that soothes his soul from the pain of missing her, and he hangs on to them like a lifeline. Those moments, those painfully fleeting moments when she's near, they're all he lives for now, and it's not nearly enough.

* * *

**_The ending is sad as f*ck I know, but being on board the Outlaw Queen means having endless hope so let's just hang on to that until the show stops blowing holes in our ship._**

**_I hope you liked it despite the sad feels!_**

**_-B_**


	10. Afterglow

_**For Britt... because she's a wonderful human being and I wuv her.**_

_**Have some porny fluff, mah love.**_

_**PS: characters aren't mine.**_

* * *

She's fallen asleep face down on the bed, naked and beautiful under the sheet that covers her up to her shoulders, her hands snuggled under her against her chest. Her head is turned to the side as she rests her cheek on her pillow, facing him. He would've succumbed to sleep himself, had his eyes not been glued to her, mesmerized by every slow rise and fall of her body as she breathes. It is amazing how much just watching her soothes him, how giddy it makes him to know that the content smile on her face as she sleeps is because of him.

As quietly as he can, he moves his arm from behind his head and shifts on the bed, moving the sheet down to her waist and letting his fingers caress her back, loving the goose bumps that rise on her skin at his touch.

"Stop that," she murmurs as her smile grows wider, alerting him to the fact that she is not as deep in her slumber as he thought.

He says nothing, rolling his body so that he's half on top of her, his bare chest pressing into her as he drops kisses all over her back, making her hum in pleasure. He smiles against her skin, turning her so that she's on her back beneath him, a lazy grin on her lips and her eyes sparkling as they open to look up at him. He's chosen her, he loves _her_, he was a fool to ever think otherwise, and it kills him that he made her suffer for the two weeks it took him to realize that.

"I'm sorry," he says, and she knows he's not talking about interrupting her sleep. She sees the guilt tighten his eyes for a second and she shakes her head, raising her head up from the pillow and planting tender kisses along his jaw.

"It's okay," she tells him, smiling in reassurance.

He can't resist her, instantly bringing his lips to hers, gently sucking and nibbling at her bottom lip before tangling his tongue with hers languidly, sweetly. When his fingers move up her body and accidentally tickle her side, she squirms a little and lets out a giggle against his mouth, a lovely, melodious thing, and he can't help but pull away to smile back at her, leaning down again after a second to pepper quick kisses all over her face, making her laugh softly.

"I love hearing you laugh," he tells her between the kiss he presses to her forehead and the one he drops against the skin of her cheek.

"I love your skin," he says before another kiss is placed at the tip of her nose.

"I love the way you kiss," now his lips touch hers and stay there for a few seconds, his hand tangling in her hair.

"I love how stubborn and hotheaded you are," he teases as he kisses her other cheek.

"Hey!" she exclaims as she playfully smacks his shoulder, but they're grinning like idiots at each other, and everything is perfect because she knows he means every word.

"I love how much you love and care for your son… and for mine," he adds, pecking her lips again simply because he can.

"I love that you put others before yourself, that you continue to choose love and hope despite all you've suffered," he tells her, and the guilt is visible again for a split second before he continues, looking down at her as he plays with her hair.

"I love how confident and sensual you are," another kiss.

"I love that no one knows your body like I do," and now his hand drags slowly down the side of her face to her chest and then cups her breast, making her gasp.

"I love the sound you make when I do _this_," he continues as he drops his lips to her neck and sucks at her pulse point, his stubble rubbing against her jaw, and she whimpers at the feeling, "yes, that's the one," he smiles in satisfaction when he hears it, and then he dives into her neck again, because he really can't get enough of that sound, enough of _her_.

"I love _you_, Regina," he finally says when he moves his head back up to look deep into her eyes. He sees the tears building there and instantly brings his lips back to hers.

When he slips into her, it's slow and tender, though the blue in his eyes darkens with the passion that burns so strongly for her, and Regina can't stop herself from gasping his name as his body brings hers to new heights. Because it isn't just the physical connection, it's _him_. It's the fact that he's picked _her_, it's that he'd made love to her and admitted there was never a choice to begin with, that he is _hers_ and hers alone. It's the reverent way in which he'd held her as he told her over and over again how sorry he was for not seeing it sooner, it's that he had shown up here two hours ago, in the middle of the night, to tell her that he loved her, it's the fact that here, in his arms, she's finally _happy_.

* * *

_**Quick note: I'm working on the prompts you've been sending on Tumblr, so please don't despair!**_

_**Also, I hope you enjoyed this one =)**_

_**-B.**_


	11. Date Night

_**This is for secondchanceforoq**_

_**Prompt was: Robin finds out Regina has never been on a date.**_

_**Story takes place in present-day Storybrooke, a few days after the season 3 finale, except with the tiny alteration that in this story, Emma NEVER brought back Marian to ruin everything, so it's just Robin and Regina progressing into the relationship they've been building all throughout season 3B.  
**_

_**The outfit Regina wears is basically the outfit she has in 3x17, the only thing that changes is the color of her scarf.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

"… _And so, once he had slain the mighty dragon, the prince rescued the fair maiden, the same one that the wizard had told him lived in the dragon's lair as a prisoner. The prince then took her on his noble steed to his castle and together, they lived happily ever after_," Regina finishes, closing the book and placing it on the coffee table in front of her. The little boy scrunches up his nose and looks up at her from where he's cuddled against her on the couch.

"That doesn't sound right," he tells her, and she frowns.

"You don't like that they lived happily ever after?" she asks him.

"Well yeah, but… how do you know?" he asks, blowing off a curl that falls on his face as he speaks.

"How do I know that they live happily ever after?" she asks incredulously, and he nods, looking up at her with curious eyes before he speaks again.

"He only rescued her from the dragon, he doesn't know if she's nice. What if she's not nice? What if she's mean? You can't live happily ever after with someone who's mean," he says, and Regina has to chuckle at his cleverness.

"You are one special little boy, Roland," she tells him, "and you're right, in the real world, it's possible that they wouldn't like each other enough to live happily ever after, that's why this sort of thing only happens in stories and not in life."

"What happens in life?" he asks, curious again, and Regina is slightly baffled by the subject they've just ventured into, but smiles all the same as she replies.

"Well, when two people meet and feel that they like each other, they spend time together just the two of them, and they get to know one another. After a while, if things go well, they fall in love, and _then _they live happily ever after," she knows it's not that simple, but he's five years old and that's the best answer she can give him for now.

"What do they do when they spend time together?" Roland asks, inquisitive child that he is.

"Well, they go out, have food, visit interesting places or take walks, just normal things you would do by yourself, but they do it together so they can talk and see if they like each other enough to fall in love. In this world, they call that a date," she says, and he nods in understanding before asking yet another question.

"Are dates nice, Regina?"

"I suppose they are, but I've never been on one so I wouldn't know for sure," she tells him with a smile, and Roland's eyes go wide at her revelation.

"You and papa," he gasps, "you like each other!"

"Yes, we do," Regina says with a tentative smile, not sure why he's so alarmed.

"But how will you know if you can fall in love if you don't have a date?!" he asks and then she understands, and hates herself for having given him such a ridiculous explanation.

It's true that she and Robin haven't been out on an actual date, but with their memories missing and Zelena lurking about, courting would have been impossible. Besides, even with everything that had been happening, they'd spent enough time together to know that what they have is real, and that's all Regina really needs. _And_ _he's your soulmate,_ Tinkerbell's voice echoes in her head.

"Roland, not everyone needs to date, your papa and I… we're different." Her words seem to ease Roland's worries, and when Robin stops by her house to pick him up, he's in good spirits again, babbling about his day with Regina as he picks up his things from around the living room. The moment his back is turned away from them, Robin presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth, his lips lingering there as his hand wraps around her waist, his front pressing into her side.

"Thank you for taking him today," he tells her in a whisper when he pulls back.

"It's not a problem," she smiles, "I love spending time with him."

When Roland is all packed and ready to go, they linger by the door so that he can hug Regina goodbye, and then Robin takes her hand and kisses it, thanking her again. She watches them go with a happy grin on her face, and settles in for the night.

* * *

Ever since he learned how to work a phone, Robin's been using the one at Granny's to call Regina every morning, and today is no different, though this time his voice carries a teasing lilt to it as he speaks on the other end of the line.

"So, did something happen last night that you wish to tell me about?" he asks her.

"What do you mean?" she questions, concern coloring her tone.

"When we got back to the camp yesterday evening, my son decided to lecture me about my lack of romantic intent towards you," he says with a laugh.

"Oh?"

"He seems to be under the impression that I've been terrible at courting you," Robin continues, and Regina finally understands, her eyes going wide as she chokes a little on the tea she's been drinking and starts to cough into the phone, absolutely mortified.

"I'm so sorry, Robin," she manages in a raspy voice once the coughing has subsided, "please don't pay him any mind, I never said anything of the sort, he was asking questions about how people fall in love and I just, I told him what I could so that he would understand, I didn't mean for him to get so caught up in it, I'm—," she rambles, but his next words stop her.

"I think he's right, actually," he says, and she can almost hear the smile in his voice.

"He's not, I told him, not everyone needs to be courted, I didn't mean that you had to—"

"Regina?" he cuts her off.

"Yes?" she asks shakily.

"Would you grant me the pleasure of your company for dinner tonight?" he asks, all traces of teasing gone.

"Robin, you don't have to. I promise you, I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything, I was just trying to expla—"

"Regina?" he cuts her off again.

"Yes?"

"I would really like to take you out tonight and spend some time alone with you, if you'll have me," he says, and she can't help the blush that spreads on her cheeks at his words.

"You're asking me out on a date?" she asks in a low voice.

"Yes, I believe that's what Roland said those are called," he teases, and she tries very hard, but fails to conceal the laugh that bursts out of her, and Robin chuckles lightly on the other end.

"I love that sound," he tells her casually, like it's a normal occurrence for him to say that to her, and she's thankful that he can't see the idiotic smile that appears on her face at his words. It's ridiculous how much this man affects her.

They say their goodbyes, agreeing that Robin will pick her up at her house at seven that night, because he's done his research and knows that "it's the proper thing to do on a date".

* * *

Regina spends the entire day overthinking everything, she even ends up telling Tinkerbell of her plans when she runs into her at Granny's, and the fairy squeals in delight and attempts to reassure her that she has nothing to worry about. It works, though only for a little while, and by the time she goes home to get ready, she's nervous again.

Robin had told her it wouldn't be a fancy thing, that she should dress comfortably since they would spend time outdoors tonight, but she still wants to make an effort and look just a little nicer than usual, so after her shower, she tries on at least six different outfits, and when her clock reads 6:37pm she ends up choosing the first one she'd thrown on: tight fitted black pants, a white button-up blouse, black boots and her black leather jacket, a deep red scarf tucked around her neck and into the jacket for effect. She's just finished fixing her hair and applying a bit of makeup when the doorbell rings, and Regina quickly ties up the sash around her jacket and nearly skips downstairs to open the door.

Robin stands on the other side, one hand behind his back as he stares. He is mesmerized by her for a few long seconds before his close-to-drooling mouth closes and arranges itself into the crooked grin he knows will make her blush… and there it is, that soft splash of color that floods her cheeks as she smiles at him is entrancing, and it makes him positively giddy to know that he has that effect on her.

"Stunning," he says simply, moving closer to her and grabbing her hand as he bows, planting a kiss on her knuckles before he brings forth the hand that was hidden behind his back. It holds a single red rose, and with a sparkle in her eyes and a silly grin on her face, she takes the flower from him, her fingers playing with one of the soft petals as she brings it to her nose and takes a deep breath, the sweet smell soothing her nerves.

"Thank you," she tells him, her smile never faltering as she turns around to place the rose in a small vase on the mantelpiece. He follows her without letting go of the hand he kissed, intertwining their fingers instead and tugging her to him so he can nuzzle his nose against her cheek. Pulling back a little, he looks into her eyes and smiles at her.

"Milady," he says, moving to her side so he can extend one arm out towards the door, the other resting low on her back as he gently ushers her outside.

They walk in comfortable silence until they reach the vicinity of the Merry Men's camp, and to her surprise he does not take her there, but a little ways away. As they continue trekking through the woods, Regina finally speaks.

"Where are you taking me?" she asks with polite curiosity.

"Well, it occurred to me that I've never had one of these 'dates' either, so I figured it would be best to have some privacy in case I make a fool of myself," he tells her, his eyes dancing with amusement. His mood is contagious, and she laughs lightly, never letting go of his hand as he leads her through the trees for a few more minutes until finally, he announces that they've reached their destination.

Regina had been too busy looking down at her feet to make sure she didn't trip, so when she looks up, all breath escapes her. There is a break in the thick canopy of the trees, giving them a full view of the sky, which is huge and black and teeming with bright, bright stars. On the ground, hundreds of fireflies dot the darkness all around them in the clearing, as if expanding the landscape that the moonless heavens are offering for the night, and a plush red blanket is spread in the middle of the open space, a basket sitting atop it, nestled in a pile of plush cushions. Two camping lanterns cast a warm, cozy glow over the setting.

"You did all this?" she asked in a whisper, not wanting to disturb the beautiful atmosphere.

"I told you I'd done my research," he teases, pulling her close and kissing her cheek, "Roland and Henry were there to assist, of course," he finishes when he pulls away, walking backwards to avoid losing sight of her as he approaches their picnic setting.

"Two little boys, that's where you got your lessons in romance?" she asks, raising an eyebrow at him, but she's smirking and walking towards him and he knows she's enjoying this. When she reaches him, he takes both her hands in his and looks her up and down, his eyes slow and deliberate, making her blush again, and he bites his lip before speaking.

"A common outlaw needs all the help he can get when attempting to court a queen, especially one as exquisite such as yourself," Robin tells her, smirking right back, and Regina laughs.

"So what that means is, they wore you down so you had to let them help," she says, breaking the seductive banter for a moment, and he nods, suddenly laughing too.

"I'll admit, they're a force to be reckoned with when they band together," he says as they sink to the floor, both sitting cross-legged on the blanket, leaning towards each other.

"Roland was very adamant about how this was all his idea, and so of course he _had _to be part of it," Robin says, pouring the wine and passing her a glass.

"Of course," she agrees with a chuckle as she takes it, swirling the liquid around while she waits for him to finish pouring his.

"He's actually the one who picked the food for tonight," he tells her.

"And Henry?"

"Henry simply insisted that he wanted everything to be perfect because you deserved it," he says, his voice quiet, and Regina's eyes fill with moisture immediately. Her little prince is back, he remembers her, and he loves her. She still can't believe it.

"They're good kids," she says once she's sure her voice won't break when she speaks.

"To our boys," he replies, and they clink their glasses, sipping the wine quietly for a few seconds before Robin opens the basket and pulls out their dinner. In minutes, he's set up a spread of grilled cheese sandwiches, all with different kinds of cheese, some fancier than others, with bacon and tomato or spinach or red peppers, and they all smell delicious.

As they eat, they talk about anything and everything, sharing sad stories and happy stories and even discussing some of their darkest secrets when they slip through. He flinches when they discuss her life as the Evil Queen, but not because of what she may have done, but because he hates that he wasn't there to soothe her, to show her she could be loved and to stop her from succumbing to her own darkness, from going through life angry and alone.

When they finish their meal, he asks her about a tiny scar he sees on her temple and she explains that it's left over from when Greg and Tamara kidnapped her, and then she gasps when she realizes that this is the first time she's ever told him about that incident.

His jaw is set as she tells the story, and her hands tremble when she mentions the way Greg tortured her, feels the pain again as she relives those horrible moments. Robin sees her folding into herself in a protective stance as she speaks, and it makes him want to revive the man only to kill him again for doing this to her. More than anything, though, he just feels sad. It pains him because he knows now that she's had to deal with these things alone throughout her life, that she's been used and abused, bruised and battered by so many people that she refused to live in the light. But he's here now, and he'll do whatever he can to make it better, so he reaches over and grabs her hand, tugging on it so she understands, and Regina leaves her glass and scarf on the floor and gets up on her knees to wobble over to him, sagging against him when she sits sideways on his lap, her cheek on the side of his forehead. Robin holds her, one arm around her back and the other resting across her thighs, murmuring sweet things against her neck, planting kisses in her hair, and then she tilts her head down and he's kissing her lips, long and soft and warm, every feeling he has for her pouring into this dance of their mouths that he can't get enough of.

When air becomes a necessity, he parts from her, only to bend his head and rest it on her shoulder, his nose burrowing into her neck as he tightens his arms around her waist, and she sighs in contentment.

* * *

They're lying down on the blanket now, Robin's upper body propped up on the larger cushions, his arm wrapped around Regina as she curls into his side and rests her head on his shoulder, her fingers raking up and down his chest every now and then while they talk some more, this time of happier memories, of funnier moments, and the atmosphere is light and gorgeous as they lie there, enjoying each other.

"You're kidding!" she says when he reveals a particularly amusing anecdote from one of his robberies. He laughs a little as he remembers the day in question, when he was running around some lord's mansion, dripping wet and wearing nothing but his boots as he tried to outrun the man.

"I didn't think he'd come back from the village so soon, and he had a very large tub, a bath sounded like a good idea at the time," he tells her, shrugging one shoulder and loving the sound of her laughter and the warmth of her breath against his shirt.

As the night goes on and they grow more quiet, he moves his free hand from where it rests on top of hers on his chest and takes out a small container from the basket, revealing the juicy, red grapes he'd brought for dessert, and he feeds a few to her as they lie there, neither of them willing to leave their lazy embrace.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" he asks her, popping a grape in his mouth as they both look up at the sky. He feels her nod against his chest when she hums in agreement.

"I'd forgotten how beautiful the stars were," she murmurs, her eyes fixed upwards.

"I take it you don't do a lot of star gazing, then?" he asks her, his arm still around her, his fingers absentmindedly drawing random patterns against her shoulder blades.

"I used to. When I was a child, my father used to take me out onto the roof of our house late at night whenever I had a bad dream. We'd stay out there for hours, just looking at the stars."

"Why did you stop?"

"The nightmares became less frequent and easier to bear as I grew up, until one day I just… never went back out," she tells him, and feels the soft "hmm" he utters in answer against the top of her head, the hand at her back continuing its ministrations while the other plays with her fingers on top of his chest.

"After Daniel died, the bad dreams returned," she continues after a few seconds of charged silence, and he stiffens a little before tightening his hold on her, letting her know it's alright to talk about it.

"It was always the same image of him, writhing in pain and dying in my arms. I tried going out one night to see if the stars would relax me like they used to, but I was living in the castle by then and it all just felt... wrong somehow, so I never attempted it again... until today," Regina says, and for a moment he's nervous, he had not meant for their night together to stir bad memories for her and he's about to apologize, but she sighs and burrows closer to him, kissing his hand where it's joined with hers on his chest and tilting her head to look up at him.

"I'm glad you brought me here," she says, easing his worries, and with a tender smile he pushes away from the cushions, capturing her lips. It starts off soft, innocent, but after a few seconds he turns until their positions are somewhat reverted and it's him that lies half on top of her, his leg wedging itself between both of hers, one of his hands wondering down her body while the other supports his weight. He nips her bottom lip and then lets the tip of his tongue slip into her mouth, savoring her and feeling a shiver run through him when she moans softly against him.

Robin drops his head down to press a trail of kisses on her neck, her head lolling back to give him more room, and she whimpers at the feeling of his lips on her skin. Gently, oh so gently, he tugs at the sash of her jacket, lowering the zipper slowly and pushing the leather aside, pulling away to bask in the breathtaking view of her.

The top two buttons of her shirt are open, and he can see by the dull light from the lanterns that her skin is flushed. His hand runs up her side, pausing on her ribcage before he looks into her eyes, brown and dark and open, vulnerable to his every word, his every action. She gives a small, almost imperceptible nod to his unspoken question, and so he moves his hand a little further up to cup her breast over her shirt, his entire body tingling when she arches into his touch.

Their kisses become bumpy and hurried, the sexual energy suddenly taking over, and though it takes every ounce of self-control he has, Robin manages to slow them down again, his lips growing gentler, more languid against hers, though the raw desire they have for each other remains in the air, heating their very skin.

"Why did you stop?" she asks, her voice husky, and she rolls her hips against his, letting him know she can tell how aroused he is.

"As much as I like where this is going, I did promise your son I would have you home by eleven," he gasps out when her fingers skim the skin of his navel under his shirt, but he remains resolute, moving away from her and getting up rather quickly, dusting himself off unnecessarily before offering a hand to her. Regina takes it, her lips twitching at the corners.

"Such a gentleman," she tells him, sashaying her way to the spot she'd sat on when they arrived so she could grab her scarf, purposefully bending over in front of him to pick up the garment before getting up slowly.

"Tease," he growls, knowing exactly what she's doing. Regina giggles, wrapping her scarf around her neck and combing her disheveled hair with her fingers. They drain the wine that's left on their glasses and put the leftovers back in the basket, with Robin popping one last grape into his mouth before he offers one to her. She opens her mouth willingly, accepting the fruit straight from his hand and letting the tip of her tongue dart out to lick his fingers, loving the way his eyes darken when she does it.

"You are nothing but trouble," he says.

"You do know Henry's staying at Emma's tonight, right? He won't know what time I get home," she tells him, and Robin smiles at her and nods.

"That's why he taught me how to text, so I can let him know when we've made it to your door," he replies, chuckling at her when her eyes widen.

"He loves you, Regina, he wants to protect you," he explains, and she feels warmth flood through her at the thought that her little boy is looking out for her, making sure that she's alright, even after everything she's done, after how much damage she did to him.

Robin can sense the direction her thoughts are taking from the way her brow furrows slightly, and he walks over to her quickly, taking her hands in his and holding them on either side of her.

"You're not that person anymore," he says, leaning forward and brushing his lips against hers, and once again she's astonished by the fact that he can notice these things, that he just knows what she's thinking and instantly attempts to reassure her.

"Sometimes I'm not so sure about that," she tells him, "and then days like this happen and I can almost believe that I…" she trails off.

"That you what?" he asks. She shakes her head, trying to brush it off, but Robin lets go of one of her hands and hooks his index finger under her chin, tilting her head up to catch her eyes, and the concern reflected in his blue orbs pull the truth out of her.

"That I really can be happy," she finally says, and Robin sighs, looking down for a moment before he leans forward yet again and kisses her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Of course you can, and you won't ever have to doubt that again," he says vehemently, and she feels her eyes well up with tears, tears that he kisses away before they have a chance to spill.

They arrive at her mansion at 10:51pm, and Robin promptly texts Henry to let him know they've made it back. Henry's reply of _'Good, you've passed the test. Tell mom good night for me!'_ has them both laughing, and that light, sweet sound bubbling out of her makes Robin kiss her fervently, promising silently to himself that he will never give her cause to doubt his feelings for her, nor will he ever stop showing her how much she deserves to be free and loved and _happy_.

"So, how was this for a first date?" he asks her when they've parted and his forehead rests on hers, both their eyes closed as they sigh contentedly against each other.

"Eh, it was alright," she says off-handedly with a shrug of her shoulders, opening her eyes to look at him and resisting the urge to laugh at the indignant expression on his face.

"Just alright?" he asks, and she can see he's truly worried now, so she places a hand on his cheek and grins before kissing him again, her lips lingering against his. They part with a small, wet pop, and she lets her thumb caress the apple of his cheek for a moment before she speaks.

"Silly thief, it was perfect," she tells him, and her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Robin sighs in relief, pecking her lips quickly and wishing her a good night, but she stops him before he's even fully turned around to leave, grabbing his jacket and smacking his body against hers, her lips attaching themselves to his neck.

"And just where do you think you're going?" she asks against his skin.

"Um… I uh… home?" he says, his Adam's apple bobbing repeatedly as she starts to suck at his pulse point.

"I have a better idea," she says once she's pulled away from him, giving him that sexy smirk he loves so much. Not loosening her hold on his jacket, she drags him inside and up the stairs.

"Why, your majesty, isn't this a bit forward of you? It's only our first date, after all," he teases when she starts to undress him.

"Shut up and kiss me, thief," she taunts back with a grin.

"You just want me for my body," he fake-whines, but follows her order anyway.

Afterwards, they lie together on her bed, wrapped up in her soft sheets, limbs tangled together as he plants tiny kisses over her face and neck before he flops back on his pillow and lets out a laugh.

"What is it?" she asks, moving closer to him and propping her head on her hand, her elbow bent against the pillow, her hair in disarray. Robin shakes his head at himself, wrapping Regina in his arms with her chest against his and planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Best first date _ever_," he finally says, and she laughs with him.

"Couldn't agree more."

* * *

_**I'm actually really proud of this one, you guys. It's a little longer than my usual one-shots, but I'm hoping you don't mind since it was fluff and adorableness and cute feels all over the place.**_

_**I'm probably going to cool it with the prompts for a few days so I can work on Take My Heart Back, but I'll get back on these as soon as I can =)**_

_**Also, reviews make me happy, please leave one?**_

_**-B.**_


	12. All of You

_**This is for my friend Kitty.**_

_**HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Distance sucks so I can't celebrate with you and take you out for ice cream and cake and drinks and happy times, but I still wanted to give you a present so here it is! You're all sorts of amazing and I love you! Hope you're having a wonderful day =)**_

* * *

His lips drop kisses on her spine, waking her up from her slumber.

"You really need to stop doing that when I'm trying to sleep," she says, and feels Robin chuckle against her skin, his stubble tickling her back.

"I want to show you something," he tells her.

"Whatever it is, it can wait until morning," she says, burrowing her face further into her pillow, but he doesn't stop, his lips moving from the small of her back up to her shoulder blades in a path of light, butterfly kisses. Regina shivers when he moves to her left to kiss a particular spot close to the side of her breast and she knows he's doing it on purpose.

"Robin," she says again, meaning to complain, to tell him that she's tired, but her voice is husky now that his hand has found her hip under the covers, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on it.

"Regina," he groans, and she knows he's mocking her, so she sighs and turns around, opening her eyes to look into his.

"What is it?" she asks.

"Come with me," he tells her, getting up from the bed and offering his hand to her.

"Now? It's two in the morning," she whines when she looks at the clock on her nightstand.

"Yes, now. Come on," he says, smiling at her with a light in his eyes she's not sure she's seen there before. Something is definitely up.

Stretching, she rises from the bed, the sheets falling from her naked body, and she looks around for her robe, but he stops her, and that's when she notices he's fully dressed in his jeans and the long sleeve, dark green shirt he'd been wearing when they arrived.

"As much as I like you like this," he says with a cheeky smirk, "I think it's best if you wear something warmer than that robe."

"Why? Where are you taking me?" she asks, confused.

"Get dressed, and you'll see," he says, winking at her and giving her that infuriating grin that tells her he's planning something. Regina relents, though her eyes are suspicious as she looks at him.

After a few minutes of sleepily fumbling for her clothes, Regina is dressed in black lounge pants and her blue silk pajama top, his jacket draped over her as they step out of the house with bare feet and quiet breaths. It's cold, almost unbearably so, and she immediately regrets not putting on her slippers, but that's not what makes her gasp. No, what makes her breath hitch is the sight that awaits them. Everything, from her garden to the sidewalk, even the streets are all covered in a thick coat of snow, flurries still falling all around them, and there's a warm glow from the lights of her porch where they're standing that makes the entire setting look cozy and inviting despite the bitter cold that makes her cheeks go red and her nose numb.

"First snow of the season," he says in a low voice as he wraps his arms around her waist from behind.

"It's beautiful," she says as she lets her head fall back against him, resting her arms on top of his where they meet at her stomach, and she sighs contentedly when he brings his face down to place a kiss on her neck and bury his nose in her hair.

"I love you, Regina," he whispers in her ear, and the giddy smile that appears on her lips is one she can't ever stop from forming whenever he says those words.

"I love you too," she echoes, the sincerity in her voice making him tighten his hold on her before he smiles against her shoulder.

"I was hoping you'd say that," he tells her, and she feels one of his arms leave her body as he shifts behind her. She doesn't have to ask what he's doing, though, because seconds later, his hand comes back in front of her and it's holding a ring, two thin, white gold bands braided together with a single round-cut diamond on top. She gasps, trying to move so she can see him, but he holds her steady, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I think it's about time you made an honest man out of me, your majesty," he breathes, and Regina can feel the grin on his face as he speaks. She turns in his arms and this time, he lets her, smiling at the questioning look on her face.

"Robin?" she asks in a whisper, and he lets go of her for a moment so he can bend down on one knee, looking up at her with the ring still in his hand.

"I've been carrying this around with me for weeks, trying to find the proper time to ask you, and then I saw the snow and you looked so beautiful and peaceful in bed and I just… knew," he says as he uses his free hand to hold one of hers, and there are tears in her eyes, but she says nothing.

"I know you still have a hard time believing that you deserve to be happy, and I know that you're afraid I won't love you when you show me the darker sides of you. But I've told you before and I'm telling you again now that you don't have to hide from me. I love you, _all of you,_ not just the parts you think I like to see. You're witty and sexy and stubborn, you love fiercely, you don't let me get away with anything, and you share every aspect of yourself with me even when your mind sometimes screams at you not to. You are frustrating, and beautiful, and caring, and I love you with every bit of my soul."

She's looking at him with the biggest smile he's ever seen on her, and he knows, he knows she finally believes him, that she's allowing herself to soak up his words and embrace them at last, and it only spurs him on.

"My life is nothing without you, Regina, so I'm asking that you let me spend it showing you how much I love you. Marry me, and let me spend the rest of my days making you happy," he finishes, and he's surprised at the way his voice becomes hoarse at the end of his speech, his emotions taking over him in a way he had not expected them to. He's so caught up in blinking back the tears that have suddenly formed in his eyes that he misses the nod she gives him, but stops as soon as she falls to her knees in front of him, her hands cupping his face as she breathes a heartfelt "yes" in his ear and he can't believe what he's hearing, so he asks for confirmation.

"Really?!"

"Yes, I'll marry you," she says, chuckling at the expression on his face, and all of a sudden she's wrapped in his arms as he murmurs "I love you" over and over again as he moves them upwards, standing up again with her pressed against him.

"I'm sorry I woke you," he says after a moment, and she laughs, because he's silly and ridiculous and everything feels just right. Finally there's no dark shadow hanging over her and waiting to pounce, and as Robin kisses her with fervor, she can't stop the happy tears from falling. Finally, she doesn't have to become someone else, a queen, a witch, a killer. No. Finally, she can be _Regina_, because this man, this gorgeous, loving man, wants _her_, _all _of her, forever.

* * *

_**Dear readers! I'm sorry I didn't update Take My Heart Back twice like I promised, but my computer's been acting up so it's taking me a lot longer to get things done. I'll keep to the original update schedule though, so keep an eye out on Friday for a new chapter and possibly a new one-shot on this compilation.**_

_**Have a nice day!**_

_**-B**_


	13. I Love You

**_HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY ALLISON!_**

**_This was supposed to be posted last night, but I kept editing and re-editing because you are the best writer ever and nothing I write compares to your amazing fics so I kept getting nervous about this and rewriting the whole thing lol. Anyway, HOPE YOU HAD A FANTASTIC BIRTHDAY!_**

* * *

He's asleep beside her, and she's taking advantage of it. She loves moments like this, where he's unaware that she's looking and she can trace her fingers down his face, marveling at the fact that he's here, that he wants her.

They'd spent the day together, walking around town with Roland and Henry, sharing a picnic by the park and being silly, lovesick fools the entire time. She hasn't said it to him yet, but she knows how she feels. It burns in her soul, and the smile that he put on her face when they kissed for the first time is a permanent fixture now, because this is good, because she is _happy_.

"I love you," she whispers, trying out the words and surprised at the tears that build in her eyes as she does, and she burrows closer to him, inhaling his woodsy smell and basking in the warmth of his body lying face-down next to hers.

She's shocked, however, when she sees the corner of his mouth turn up a little, and his eyes blink open to look into hers. Mortified, she realizes he's heard her, and the panic that grips her is evident in her face, but he grins wider, bringing his hand out from under the pillow to cup her cheek and caress it with his thumb.

"Oh, my love," he breathes, as if relieved, and she's smiling through her tears, letting out a sniffle that she tries to hide by burying her face in the pillow next to him, but he's having none of it. Coaxing her head closer, he kisses her, long and slow and deep, and he hums into her mouth when she sucks on his bottom lip just the way he likes it.

"Say it again," he murmurs against her lips, and she gives him a tender smile in return, because he's looking at her like he can't believe she finally said it.

"I love you," she repeats, and the warmth that flows through him is wonderful and overwhelming.

They're lying on their sides now, facing each other, so his hand trails from where he's holding her head, down the length of her arm until he can lace his fingers with hers.

"You've no idea how much I've been wanting to hear you say that," he tells her, bringing their joint hands to his lips to place a kiss on her knuckles, then leaning closer to drop another on her forehead, then one on the tip of her nose, and yet another on her lips. She sighs at the contact, kissing him back and letting her tongue play with his, tasting him until a tiny whimper escapes her.

"I love you too, Regina," he finally echoes, and she lets out a watery laugh.

"I love you so much," he says, over and over again as he plants kisses on her neck, her chest, the valley between her breasts.

"Show me," she gasps, arching against him when his mouth finds her nipple, and he does. With every kiss, every touch, ever breath, he shows her how much he loves her, conveys time and again the depth of his feelings for her, murmuring things like how much he needs her, how much he can't live without her, how much he wants this, wants_ her_, forever.

They come together, his name a breathless cry on her lips as they move against each other in perfect rhythm, and he collapses on top of her as they topple over the edge.

All he can do afterwards is hold her, pecking her lips repeatedly as his hands run through her hair, splaying it out on the pillow. When he tries to move off of her, she stops him, holding him tighter against her body.

"Don't," she says, squeezing him in her arms, "just… stay here a little longer."

"But I'm crushing you," he says with a breathless chuckle as he tries to move again.

"I don't care, I just want to feel you," she tells him simply, and Robin looks at her, taking in her beauty for a moment before bending his head down to kiss her languidly.

"I love you," he says again when they part, and she knows she'll never get tired of hearing those words. Smiling, she finally lets him slip out of her and turns so he can lie back down behind her. His arm snakes around her stomach to bring her closer, and she sighs contentedly when she feels the warmth of his chest against her back, his lips planting a tiny kiss on her shoulder.

"I love you too," she says again before they drift off to sleep with matching grins on their faces.


	14. Whipped Cream

**_Happy birthday, Alex! Hope it's a great one =)_**

**_Note that this one-shot is rated M... kinda... I'm never too explicit with smut because I really don't think I write it well, but I tried! Hope you like it anyway._**

* * *

It's official, Robin Hood loves whipped cream.

Regina stares in amazement as Ruby puts a plate of it in front of him, and upon closer inspection she realizes that there's a small stack of pancakes underneath the stuff.

"What has gotten into you?" she asks, amused at the happy expression on his face.

"I've never tasted anything so delicious," he tells her with the excitement of a child.

"Whipped cream? Really?" she says, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You can't tell me you don't like it," he says in disbelief.

"Can't really say I'm a fan. Especially not when there's… so much of it," she replies, looking down at the copious amounts of whipped cream still on his plate.

"This realm has many wonders, but this is by far my favorite," he tells her, and she chuckles at his enthusiasm.

"If this is what you do with pancakes, I'm anxious about how you'll react when you try it on ice cream," she jokes, and his eyes grow mischievous all of a sudden.

"I would much rather try it on something far more appealing than ice cream," he says.

"Like what?" she asks, still not catching on to his plan.

"Why you, of course," he winks, and Regina can feel herself blushing, but shakes her head right away.

"No. You are not covering me in that sticky, sugary mess," she admonishes, whispering so that the rest of the diner can't hear them, and Robin leans closer, his lips by her ear.

"Not even if I promise to lick it all off?" he asks, and smiles in satisfaction when her breath hitches as she turns to look at him, her eyes darkening with desire.

He makes good on that promise later that night, when he licks her clean of all the whipped cream he's spread on her, humming in pleasure as he kisses her and the taste of it mixes with the taste of _her_. When they part, he adds more whipped cream to his index finger and slowly puts it in her mouth, groaning when her tongue swirls around it and her lips suck the sweet concoction right off. His mouth flies to her neck, where he sucks and nips and licks at her, and she arches into him, moaning loudly in his ear.

"Gods I love it when you do that," he tells her, his voice hoarse against her neck, and she hums in response, her fingers threading through his hair and pulling when she feels his teeth sink into her skin.

"Oh!" she gasps when his hand drops down and his fingers venture inside her, and then she screams when his mouth follows his fingers, his tongue lapping at her as he moans and sucks at her clit. His fingers curve and thrust upwards inside her, and he knows he's hitting that spot she likes so much, so he does it again, and again, until she's breathless and pulling at his hair, her cries of "don't stop," and "yes!" like music to his ears, and he can't stop the smug grin that takes over his face when she comes fast and hard against his mouth, her hands still clutching his hair as he licks and sucks his way around her inner thighs with a low "mmm" that vibrates against her and makes her whimper.

When she tugs on his hair to bring him up, he follows willingly, planting a hot kiss on her mouth and letting her taste herself on him.

"So, have I changed your mind about whipped cream?" he asks with a smirk.

"Oh, I love whipped cream," she says, making him laugh as he goes in for another kiss.


	15. Midnight Stroll

_**Got an anon request on Tumblr just now to do Outlaw Queen + "Are you flirting with me?" and this is the result! Hope you like it =)**_

_**-B.**_

* * *

Robin of Locksley had always had trouble sleeping. As he grew older, he'd taken to wondering whichever area he'd be occupying at the time, walking around and taking in the still beauty of the night in order to draw some comfort from it, and hopefully that would be enough to lull him back to sleep when he reached his bed again. However, he had never had to deal with being confined to a castle, and wondering its corridors instead of being allowed to roam the outside seemed to only annoy him further, rather than soothe him enough to sleep.

"Is everything alright?" a voice asked from behind him, and he turned to find the queen standing at the end of the hall he'd ventured into, her eyebrow raised at him in question.

"Yes, why wouldn't it be?" he snapped, and she pursed her lips at him.

"Well you look like a caged lion waiting to pounce, for starters, and you're about to wear a hole in my carpet from all the pacing you're doing," she fired at him, her disdain clear on her face.

"If you must know, your majesty, I hate this place," he told her, and his sass should have bothered her, but it only intrigued her more.

"So why don't you leave?" she spat.

"Because right now, it's the safest place for my boy, I'd be damned if I let your beloved sister harm him just because I couldn't stay put."

"Roland seems to love the castle," she said, and her bite was somewhat diminished by the fondness with which she spoke his son's name.

"He does. Me on the other hand, I don't do well trapped within walls."

"Who says you're trapped?"

"Princess Snow, Prince David, everyone at the council."

"They forbid you to leave the castle too?" she asked with genuine curiosity, and he shrugged.

"Not in so many words, but they keep stressing on how utterly important it is to stay within the palace walls and how we must avoid putting ourselves in the Wicked Witch's line of sight at all costs. They're being very diplomatic about it, offering me and my men every comfort and I'm thankful, but a cage is a cage, no matter how fine the draperies that hang within it."

His words startled her, not because of the anger they were laced with, but because she felt the exact same way. With her heartbreak over Henry so fresh, Regina had needed a way to unwind, to distract herself, and that was impossible to do when they were all forced to stay inside the castle, with even the gardens barred and labeled as off limits until they figured out how to defeat Zelena. It was infuriating.

What baffled her, however, was not just the fact that she had something in common with the thief, but also the fact that she wanted to make this situation more endurable for him.

"Come with me," she said before her common sense kicked in and she decided against helping him, turning around and walking away without waiting for him to join her, knowing he would follow.

They walked in silence a few paces, and Robin had a hard time keeping up with the queen as she wove her way through corridors, left and right through hidden doors and secret passageways, up several flights of stairs until finally, she pushed open a heavy door and gestured for him to walk through.

Suddenly, they were outside, nothing above them but the sky and the moon, and all around them he could see the mountains, the lake, and the entire kingdom. Looking down, he realized they were standing on the roof of the castle.

"We're still in the palace so technically, we're not breaking any rules," she said with a satisfied grin, and for the first time since they'd met, he smiled at her.

"This is wonderful," he commented as he looked around at the breathtaking view.

They were standing far enough away from each other that he couldn't touch her even if he stretched out his arm, and he quickly realized how much he disliked that, suddenly feeling the urge to be closer to her. It seemed they both felt caged in, which meant she must have been as desperate as he was for some semblance of freedom, and yet she'd chosen to share the closest thing she had to it with him.

"Why are you showing me this?" he asked her.

"I find it helps me feel less… trapped, coming up here at night," she answered, her eyes focused on the vast expanse of land that stretched out ahead, never turning her head to look at him.

"Ah! You know the feeling, then," he told her, turning around and resting his back against the railings that lined the space, his eyes focused on the view to the other side of the castle, where the lake sparkled in the moonlight.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to share this place with me, if I'm ever in need of space?" he enquired, and she hummed noncommittally, leaning her hands against the railing.

"Is that a yes?"

"It's a 'maybe', if you shut up and let me enjoy the quiet," she admonished, wrapping her arms around herself and turning all the way away from him, regretting having shown him the way up here now that she realized she'd probably not be able to grieve on her own.

"I won't intrude on your space if you do not want me to, your majesty," he said, understanding her hesitation, "we may not see eye to eye on many things, but I understand the need to be alone in a place that is your own. Besides, I must admit, I have no idea how we got here, so I won't be venturing here unannounced, if that's what you're worried about."

"You're welcome to join me, if we cross paths during the night," she conceded, and he thanked her, sighing as he turned back to look at the lake.

Several moments passed, and Robin turned to see a single tear sliding down the queen's face, but he said nothing, merely looking at her and truly admiring her for the first time. The moonlight lit up her face, showcasing the soft curve of her lips, the smoothness of her skin, and her eyelashes cast diminutive shadows when they brushed against the tops of her cheeks as she blinked the tears away. She was beautiful and sad and broken, and his anger at her for whatever trivial motives he may have had dissipated as he found himself wanting to know her, to be closer to her.

"Every time I come here I marvel at how gorgeous this place is," she starts, surprising even herself as she continues the conversation, "I don't think I've ever seen anything more beautiful."

"Oh, I don't know," he told her, his eyes never straying from her, not even bothering to look out at the landscape anymore, "I'd say the sight right in front of me is way more beautiful than the Enchanted Forest."

She turned to look at him then, her lip scrunching up in disbelief as she spoke.

"Are you flirting with me?" she asked incredulously.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he answered, but the cheeky grin on his lips said differently, and she shook her head, turning back around to stare at the lake some more.

They walked down together, with Robin escorting her to her chambers and trying as hard as he could to prolong their time together, but when she yawned discreetly into her hand, he decided to say his goodbyes.

"Thank you for tonight, your majesty," he told her, taking her hand in his and kissing her knuckles.

"Regina," she murmured.

"Pardon?"

"I prefer Regina," she told him, "when we're alone, at least," and the wink she gave him, paired with the faintest of smiles that showed up on her lips had Robin grinning like an idiot the entire way back to his room, where he slept soundly and peacefully for the rest of the night.


	16. Late to the Party

**_In answer to an anon request of Outlaw Queen + "That's a good look for you"_**

**_I'm writing these so fast lol I'm inspired~_**

**_Hope you like it and leave a review? =)_**

**_-B_**

* * *

Regina stared at herself in the mirror, grimacing at the outfit she had on and cursing Tinkerbell for convincing her that this was a good idea.

The fairy had taken quite a liking to this world, enjoying all it had to offer and embracing its many traditions. Tonight was no different. It was Halloween, and Tinkerbell had insisted that they had a costume party. Regina had refused right off the bat, but Roland and Henry had sounded so excited at the suggestion that her resolve cracked in a matter of seconds, and the fairy had taken advantage of that and insisted she let her pick a costume for her, something that Regina had agreed to and deeply regretted, as she now found herself decked in cheap, burgundy colored velvet from head to toe.

The dress was long and form-fitting, with an empire waist and long sleeves that capped at the shoulders, growing wider in an angle down her arms, the tips of them almost touching the ground. The skirt was light and open as it flowed into a small train that trailed over the floor as she moved. The neckline was square and modest, though the tops of her breasts peaked out from the fabric.

"That's a good look for you," Robin's voice came from the doorway, and she turned around to find him walking towards her with a hunger in his eyes that made her blush and look down.

"I feel like a peasant," she grumbled, scratching her arm where the fabric itched against her skin.

"But a very enticing peasant," he winked as he wrapped his arms around her, "my Juliet."

He was dressed in simple black velvet trousers and a matching jacket that he hadn't bothered to button, leather boots and a cream colored linen shirt that had ruffles on the chest and cuffs.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Romeo," she grinned. It was ridiculous, that Tinkerbell had decided to dress them as the cheesiest, most tragic couple in the literary history of this realm, but anything dark and evil on Regina would only remind everyone of her past persona, and that was something she really wanted to avoid, so the typical Halloween costume options of vampires and witches had been discarded. Not that dressing like a lovesick fourteen year-old girl was something she enjoyed, but it would have to do.

"I don't know why I let her talk me into this," she insisted, extricating herself from his arms and turning back to the mirror and fixing her hair and makeup again. She'd opted for something simple and soft, with her hair down and curled slightly at the ends, light shades of eye shadow and just a hint of eyeliner, with a pinkish nude color on her lips.

"Well I, for one, am deeply grateful that you did," Robin whispered in her ear as he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him, her back smacking a little against his chest, and Regina whimpered pathetically at the feeling of his hot breath against her skin.

"How long until we have to show up at this party?" he asked in a husky voice, turning her and bending down to suck at her neck.

"We should have been there by now," she sighed against his hair, her eyes closing when his teeth bit down on her shoulder.

"Hmm, what if we stay here and have a little party of our own," he murmured as his lips moved up to her jaw, his stubble scratching deliciously against the skin of her neck.

"Tinkerbell and Snow will kill us, and so will Roland and Henry if they arrive before we do," she replied, trying to reason with him, but it was clear from her tone that he had her. Squeezing her tighter against him, he bit her bottom lip, coaxing her into a heated kiss that had his tongue savoring hers languidly, slowly, and the tiny moan that escaped her reverberated against him.

"Robin, we really have to go, Emma will be there with the boys soon," she said halfheartedly against his mouth, and he threaded his hands in her hair, pulling on it just a little. He was rewarded with one of her sexy little whimpers he loved so much, and finally, she gave in.

"Oh so we're a little late," she said, succumbing to his charms and his touch and his mouth, letting him do with her as he pleased and loving every second of it.

They arrived at the party an hour after they were supposed to, his shirt untucked and rumpled, her hair no longer in its carefully crafted curls, and though the knowing smirk they got from Emma told them she knew exactly why they were late, Regina couldn't bring herself to care.


	17. Dimples

**_Missing Year fluff time!_**

**_Prompt requested by Melody: Outlaw Queen + "Can we pretend I didn't just say that?"_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-B_**

* * *

"Regina! Regina!" the little boy shouted as he entered the library, running at full speed and not stopping until he smacked right into her legs, making her stumble backwards a little, but she smiled all the same, hiking her long skirt up just a little so she could crouch down in front of him.

"Good morning, Roland," she told him, reveling in the way his little arms wrapped around her neck as he hugged her.

Out of every single person in this castle, Roland was the only one who had no fear, no apprehension around her. He loved her freely, defended her from those who dared look at her the wrong way, he even called himself her knight, escorting her to meals and kissing her hand as he ran off to battle imaginary dragons to win her favor.  
Regina had not wanted him near her at first, had preferred any reminder of Henry to stay as far away from her as possible, and Roland was as strong a reminder as it was possible to be, so she had been adamant about not spending time with him, but the boy was persistent, sneaking out of his room early in the mornings to see her in the library, where he knew she'd be hiding from the world, crying and missing her son. She had no idea how he knew, but he did, and he had stayed with her, saying nothing and running his hand up and down her arm until she stopped crying, and one day she agreed to play with him, and then another day she read him a story. As time passed, a beautiful friendship had developed between them, and now it was routine for them to meet in the library when he woke up, if only to spend some time together doing any of the random, silly things he liked to do.

"Regina, Little John says I'm going to be as big and brave as my papa when I grow up, is that true?" he asked her, looking up at her with those big doe eyes of his that could melt her if they wanted to.

"Of course, Roland," she told him, "you'll be tall and brave and handsome, just like your father."

"You think papa is handsome?" he asked.

"Yes, very much so," Regina replied, trying and failing to hide the blush on her cheeks.

"What's handsome about him?" he prodded, his curiosity endless. Regina thought for a moment, tapping her chin and looking down at the boy before she smiled and gently poked the tiny indent on Roland's left cheek.

"His dimples. He has dimples just like you. I like them a lot."

"Do you, now?" a deep voice sounded from behind her, and Regina turned around to find Robin watching them from where he stood, leaning against one of the many bookshelves that lined the vast library.

"Oh, no," she whined, her head falling into her palm in exasperation, "can we pretend I didn't just say that?" she asked him, but he shook his head and smirked at her.

"Oh, but you did, your majesty," he teased, sauntering his way towards her and wrapping his arms around her waist while Roland laughed at their interaction.

To the outside world, they despised each other, but when Roland had insisted on spending time with Regina, Robin had decided to join them from time to time and, surprisingly, he had enjoyed her company. Sometimes he even missed her, and then one day when Roland had fallen asleep on his favorite cushy armchair, Robin and Regina had talked and talked about their lives, their fears, their feelings, and suddenly he'd found himself kissing her, savoring her soft, warm lips and becoming addicted to them in seconds.

Roland had caught them making out like teenagers one night, so they'd been forced to explain their secret arrangement to him, but the boy had been so excited to be part of something no one else knew about that he had been silent as a tomb about the whole ordeal, and so the queen and the outlaw had been able to continue their romance while the castle inhabitants remained oblivious. It was thrilling, sneaking around the castle, finding hidden corners, little nooks and crannies where they could spend stolen moments together, simply holding each other or engaging in heated kisses to apologize for the harsh words spoken in front of the unsuspecting Charmings during council meetings.

"So, you have a thing for my dimples, huh?" he asked, amused at how embarrassed she looked. She was flustered and adorable, and he couldn't stop smiling at her.

"You're never gonna let me live this down, are you?" she countered, and he shook his head, smile still in place, nuzzling her neck and leaving a trail of tiny pecks there as he held her closer to him, her sweet scent permeating the air around him.

"Never," he replied, lifting his head to place a tender kiss on her lips.


	18. I Want You

**_This is for Britt, who requested Outlaw Queen + "I need this"_**

**_I swear this did not start off as a smut fic, it really didn't, but I slipped, so I'm giving this chapter an M rating._**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-B_**

* * *

Regina doesn't have time to react to seeing Robin outside her door before he's pinning her against the wall of her porch in a heated kiss, a kiss she stops almost as soon as it starts, with a few blissful seconds in between where she lets herself enjoy having him close again.

"What is wrong with you?!" she exclaims, pushing him off her even as her body itches to pull him closer. He knows he should've explained first, but he is starved for her, his soul screaming with the need to have her in his arms and taste her lips again.

"Regina—" he begins, but she shakes her head, cutting him off.

"Go back to your wife, Robin," she says before moving to close the door on him, but he stops her, wedging his foot inside and grabbing her hands in his.

"Regina, I don't—" but she stops him again.

"Go home. It's the middle of the night, I'm sure Marian's waiting for you," she says as she turns around, walking further into the house and leaving him standing by the door.

"She's not," he says, and she stops moving, but doesn't turn around to look at him.

"What do you mean?" she asks, her back to him.

"Marian's not waiting for me, she left the camp this morning. Granny gave her a room."

"Then go to Granny's, I don't care, just leave me be," she says in exasperation, and he gives a humorless laugh. Of course she would think he was correcting the semantics of the situation, when really he's admitting he and his wife have parted ways.

"Regina," he says again, walking towards her slowly and grabbing her hand, turning her to look at him. Her eyes are shining with tears that he knows she's fighting very hard not to shed, and his heart breaks for her, he cannot believe he didn't realize his feelings for her sooner.

"Marian isn't waiting for me, because we are no longer together," he tells her slowly, looking straight into her eyes and rubbing circles on the skin of her hand where he holds it in his.

"You… why?" she asks, not fully grasping the extent of what he's saying.

"Because as much as I care for her, she's not the woman I love, hasn't been in a very long time."

"But Roland—"

"Will still get to know his mother and grow to love her just as much as she loves him, but she is no longer my wife," he continues, his free hand reaching up to hook a finger under her chin, raising her face towards his so he can brush the tip of his nose against hers.

"Why are you here, Robin?" she asks, her voice trembling.

"Because I want _you_, Regina," he answers without a hint of doubt.

"You… you want this?" she still can't believe what she's hearing, so he makes sure to look straight into her eyes before he speaks again, with fervor this time.

"I _need_ this," he tells her, "I need _you._ I need _us._"

And then he's kissing her, all heat and tongues and desperation, the sweet, wonderful taste of her lips mixing with the saltiness of her tears, and he doesn't stop, he can't stop, because her hands are on him now, stripping him of his clothes just as he rips her silk pajamas off, his fingers fisting in the soft fabric as he pulls it haphazardly from her body, baring her to him.

The sounds that come out of her when he sucks on her nipple drive him crazy, and the way she's digging her nails into his bare shoulders only spurs him on, slamming her hard against the wall. It is fast and rough, because they are hungry for each other, have been desperate for this for longer than they care to admit, and they are both moaning when he finds her wet and ready, her name a breathless cry on his lips as he thrusts one, two, and then three of his fingers into her repeatedly, her legs wrapping around his waist as he hoists her up, her body finding purchase on the wall behind her.

When he's finally buried deep inside of her, she is gasping for breath, and he has missed her so much that he is greedy, moving his hips in ways that have her screaming his name over and over again as he pounds her against the wall.  
His mouth flies to hers again, and he bites on her bottom lip when her nails dig harder into his back, his thrusts growing faster and more erratic as their climax continues to build, and suddenly he can't hold himself upright anymore, his knees going weak from the tidal wave of pleasure that grips him when she rolls her hips and holds on to his neck, breathing heavily in his ear and letting out the sexiest little whimper as she comes with him.

Spent and sated, they tumble to the floor, the plush carpet serving as a bed for now, and he holds her close, planting tiny kisses all over her face. The moment is tender and sweet, a complete contrast to the hot and sweaty actions of just seconds before, and she sighs contentedly against his neck, planting a kiss on his shoulder and moving away to look up at him, her head propped up on her arm as she lies on her side, her breasts pressed against his chest, their noses touching.

"I love you, Regina," he breathes against her lips, and she smiles through teary eyes that close when she bridges the small gap between them in a slow, burning kiss, one full of promises and feelings that she's too overwhelmed to speak of right now, but he knows, he can feel it in the way she squeezes his hand when it moves to hold hers, can hear it in the satisfied hum she gives him when he turns them so that he's half on top of her as they kiss languidly, can taste it in the softness of her lips as they suck gently on his, and everything is right in his world again.


	19. Late Night Swim

**_For outlawqueenluvr and the anon who both requested Outlaw Queen + "You want me to do what?"_**

**_-B_**

* * *

"You want me to do _what_?!" Regina thundered, and Robin carefully stepped away from her after he'd whispered his proposal.

"You heard me," he told her, smiling in satisfaction.

"That is hardly fair. I will not compromise my dignity for the forgiveness of a thief," she spat.

They were in a large study, one of her many private spaces within the castle. She'd insulted him and was fearful that he might retaliate by leaving, and she didn't think she could handle seeing Roland go, so she had called the outlaw in to apologize for the harsh comment she'd made as they were scouting Rumple's palace, and while he was glad that she seemed genuinely contrite about the incident, he couldn't resist playing with her, saying there was only one way he would forgive her for the slight.

"You were the one who disdainfully mocked the way we bathe," he told her.

"That does not mean I should jump naked in the river! I do not want your forgiveness that bad, thank you," she countered, her nose up in the air so as to retain some of her superiority.

"Then I suppose Roland will have to find a new friend in the castle," he said. It was a cheap shot, using his son and her fondness for him, but he knew she'd relent that way. They'd become quite close, and she couldn't stay away from Roland any more than the boy could be kept away from her.

"Oh that is low, even for you," she said angrily, and he shrugged noncommittally at her.

"You could jump in the lake right now, if you'd rather that than the river in the woods. It's the middle of the night, no one will be watching," he suggested after a few minutes of silence.

Regina huffed, muttering an annoyed "fine!" with a roll of her eyes and conjuring a thick blanket out of thin air before she headed out of the study and to the main doors of the castle, with Robin hurrying to keep up.

They walked to the far end of the wall that lined the tallest tower. The queen knew her castle well, its hidden nooks and all its blind spots, so she made certain to find a place that would shield her from prying eyes if any were to be looking out the windows.

"If you so much as breathe a word of this to anyone, I will roast you. Understood?" she threatened him, and Robin nodded with a laugh.

"As you wish, your majesty," he joked.

"Some privacy, please?" she asked in an exasperated tone, and he rolled his eyes at her.

"Don't worry, I won't peek," he said, turning around to allow her some time to remove her clothes, "unless you want me to," he finished, throwing her a smirk over his shoulder.

"Don't flatter yourself, thief," she fired back, stripping off her clothes and jumping in the lake.

When he heard the splash, he turned to find the queen poking her head out of the water, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"There," she said, "happy now?"

"Not quite," Robin smirked, bending down to remove his boots, and Regina averted her eyes when she realized what he was doing, blushing when she felt him close, creating a slight current in the water as he moved towards her.

"This is a lot warmer than the river in Sherwood," he commented, but Regina didn't speak, too scandalized by the idea of them being in the lake in the middle of the night. Naked.

"This is inappropriate," she finally said.

"Oh come on, your majesty, it's just a casual swim, don't get too excited."

"Your sass could cost you your life, you'd be wise to keep it to yourself," she spat, but he remained unaffected, enjoying the water as it moved around him, little rivulets running down his arms when he brought them to the surface.

"You know, you're not as scary as the stories say," he told her, not even pretending to acknowledge her sass and hateful words.

"I can be if I want to," she replied, inching away from him when he ventured a little too close for comfort.

"I don't believe that. In fact, I don't think you're evil at all… just unhappy and in need of someone to talk to," he said, and she was surprised at the sincerity in his voice.

"What makes you think you know me so well?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Well for one, I'd be charred to a crisp by now if you were actually as awful as the folk tales make you out to be," he began, giving her a tiny smirk that she found herself returning against her will.

"Besides, I've seen you with Roland," he continued, "you have the touch of a mother, yet I noticed there is no child with you. I'd wager that loss is what ails your soul so much."

Regina was surprised by how much of an insight this man had into her feelings by simply observing her, and she made a mental note to conceal her sadness better from now on, refusing to give him or anyone else the satisfaction of crumbling under the weight of her heartbreak.

"What 'ails my soul' is none of your business, outlaw, and you should learn to leave well enough alone," she said with venom in her voice, and noticing how rattled she was, Robin realized he'd hit a nerve.

"I'm sorry," he told her, and the queen frowned, not expecting him to back down so easily. She also wasn't expecting to feel his warm touch against her hand. It was nothing but a mere brush of his fingers against her skin, but it startled her, made her move hurriedly towards the shore.

"I wish you wouldn't run from me," he said quietly, like he had not meant for her to hear him, but she did.

"I don't run from anyone," she said, tilting her head up in defiance.

"You're running now."

"Am not!"

"As you say, majesty," he relented, not wanting to engage her in yet another argument, "just… know that I'm here, should you ever wish to talk."

"I'll think about it," she finally concedes, powerless under his gaze. Then, making sure his back was turned before she got out of the water, Regina wrapped the thick blanket she had conjured tightly around her frame as she gathered her dress.

Everything goes back to normal afterwards, and they continue to fight like eight year-olds the entire time. She doesn't take him up on his offer to listen until two weeks later, when he finds her hiding behind the rose bushes in the garden, crying as she stares at a charcoal sketch of her son's face, and she can't resist the urge to let out her frustrations, can't find it in herself to fight off the hand he runs through her hair as she cries into his shoulder. She even refuses to push him away when he plants a tender kiss on her forehead, mutters a soft "there, there," against her skin and envelops her in his arms.

She breaks, she breaks horribly, and no one has ever seen the great and terrible Evil Queen at her weakest except this man, this infuriating man, who says nothing, does nothing but listen and offer her comfort and reassurances until days later, when he joins her in the gardens yet again, she succumbs to the attraction that had been building between them and plants her lips on his tenderly. The kiss is slow and uncertain, but it ignites something in her, and when they part, she offers him her first smile in weeks, and it's like the sun has finally peaked out from the clouds, and he decides right then that he wants to bask in her light for as long as she'll let him… and then some more.


	20. Surrender

**_More smut because apparently now I can't stop writing it._**

**_Prompt was: Outlaw Queen + "You forgot to say the magic word"_**

**_I have an idea for a fluff version of this prompt that I will work on later today and try to post before the weekend is over =)_**

**_As usual, characters are not mine._**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-B_**

* * *

There's this thing Regina does when she kisses him, where she bites gently on his lower lip just as she darts her tongue out to lick against his, that drives Robin crazy every single time. She's doing exactly that at the moment, and he can't help but groan into her mouth, grasping her naked body tighter against his. This isn't how tonight was supposed to go, though. Tonight, _he _was supposed to be in charge, not her. It was _his_ turn to torture _her_, not the other way around.

Wanting to gain the upper hand again, he flips them both over to land himself on top of her on the bed, and he's pleased to see her eyes roll back and her back arch when she feels him flush and warm against her.

"I call the shots tonight, remember?" he mutters against her jaw before he nips at the skin there and she groans, rolling her hips against his in search of the delicious friction he's purposefully denying her.

"Robin," she whines, hands clawing at his back to bring him closer.

"Yes, your majesty?" he asks, licking a wet trail down her neck and to her breasts, sucking a nipple into his mouth and loving the way she cries out in response.

"I need…" she gasps, unable to continue speaking when his teeth graze her other nipple, his fingers trailing down her stomach and playing on her inner thighs, torturously close to where she's aching for him.

"What do you need, Regina?" he asks her, encouraging her to speak, because he loves the rare occasions where she begs him to take her, finds a thrill in the way she pleads with him in breathy moans.

"You. I need… _oh_!" she shouts mid-sentence when his fingers finally thrust into her, and it's delicious and hot and wet, but not enough.

"I need you inside me," she finally rasps, eyes closed as she savors his attentions.

"You forgot to say the magic word," he teases, kissing her again and sucking at her pulse point, amused at the way she huffs in frustration and stops their actions altogether.

"Are you kidding me right now?" she asks with a scowl, her eyes still dark with desire.

"Oh I am dead serious, your majesty," he replies with a smirk.

His fingers are still working her over, alternating between rubbing slow circles on her clit and venturing inside her one by one, and she arches into him again and threads her fingers through his hair, pulling him gently upwards so that her teeth and tongue explore his neck. Feeling her renewed intentions, Robin stops his movements, dropping gentle kisses on her cheeks before he looks at her again, raising an eyebrow at her.

"What?!" she huffs out in frustration.

"You know what I want," he tells her.

"I am a queen, I do not say that word," she says defiantly, but he's not buying her bravado, he knows she's as desperate as he is for more, so he continues his game.

"Oh but you do. In fact you said it just two days ago while I licked whipped cream off you, remember?" he taunts in a husky voice, and Regina finds strength enough to turn their bodies so that she's the one on top now, straddling him and nipping at his jaw.

"Well, don't get too attached, I won't be saying it again," she says in a sultry tone, trying to retain some semblance of control, but they both know she's fooling herself, the way she's rolling her hips against him is more than sufficient proof of that.

"Do you want me, Regina?" he asks her, letting his hands cup her breasts and reveling in the way she gasps when pleasure grips her.

"Yes," she answers, her voice needy.

"Then say it," he tells her.

"I want you," she breathes.

"And the magic word?" he asks again, positioning her so that his tip grazes her slick folds, and he's praying to any and all possible deities that she caves soon, because now that he can feel her wet heat on him, he's not sure he can hold out much longer.

With a jerk of her hips, her answer comes after a sharp intake of breath.

"_Please_," she finally begs, and the witty, victorious remark he'd wanted to make dies on his lips when he enters her, succumbing to the feel of her clenching around him and dropping wet kisses on his neck as he sinks into her.

"You know, I had every intention of making you say it more than once," he says, and he did, he really did, but she smells so good and she's moving her hips against him just the way he likes it and doing that bite-and-lick thing again and he can't resist her.

"I told you, one way or another, I always win," she says haughtily before dropping her head against his neck, rolling her hips again when he thrusts into her, and he realizes he hasn't been calling the shots at all, not really, and he probably never will… but as she breathes into his ear how good he feels, Robin finds that he's perfectly okay with that.


	21. Please

_**This is for Mauwee, because she's my OQ freakout Twitter buddy and I love her and she wanted something related to the Missing Year with the "You forgot to say the magic word" prompt, so here it is!**_

_**As usual, I own nothing but the feels.**_

_**-B**_

* * *

Robin closed the door of her study with a little more force than was entirely necessary, leveling an angry look her way.

"Where is it?" he seethed, not caring that they weren't alone in the room.

"Where's what?" Regina asked from where she sat behind a grand mahogany desk, feigning ignorance.

"You know perfectly well what," he snarled, "I don't like it when people take my things."

"Says the _thief_," she replied with amusement, and he slammed a fist against her desk, not caring that he startled a very pregnant Snow.

"Where is my bow? I want it back _now_," he barked again, and Regina smiled devilishly.

"You forgot to say the magic word," she taunted, dropping all pretenses.

"I'm not kidding, Regina," he fired back with a glare.

"Neither am I, and it's 'your majesty' to you," she sneered, leaning back in her chair and looking up at him haughtily. Robin knew exactly what she wanted, could see it in the way her breath caught just a little as he stared at her, her breasts heaving from the confines of her corset, but he was so angry that he refused to give her the satisfaction of winning this round.

"Fine, guess I'll just have to make a stop by your jewelry boxes," he threatened, a satisfied smirk showing on his face.

"You wouldn't _dare_," she replied with an angry tone, but he could see the hint of apprehension in her eyes and knew he'd done his job. Robin shrugged and turned without a word, striding out of the room and leaving Regina to stare after him in outrage.

"The nerve of that man!" she exclaimed, and Snow merely gave her a knowing smile.

"Go apologize," she told her, and Regina raised an eyebrow at her.

"Me? Apologize to _him_? Why?!"

"We both know you did take his bow, now go give it back and apologize, I'm tired of watching you two fight all the time," Snow continued, her hand resting on her growing belly. Regina huffed, knowing it was best not to upset a pregnant woman.

"Fine!" she finally said, leaving the room and going after Robin.

She found him a few minutes later, pacing one of the balconies on the other side of the castle, the side no one ever visited because it held nothing of importance. With a twist of her wrist, his bow appeared in a puff of purple smoke, leaning against the wall in front of him. Startled, he turned to find her walking towards him, her face set in an expression that would make anyone think she was bored by all this, but he knew better.

"You're insufferable, you know that?" he told her when she reached him. She said nothing, merely grasping the back of his head and pulling him to her, their mouths crashing together.

It had been like this for weeks now. They would fight, throw hateful comments and pull annoying pranks, and then they'd be losing themselves in each other. It seemed they couldn't resist it, the sexual pull they had on one another, and after several encounters, they simply refused to care about the implications of such uninhibited attraction.

Regina needed a distraction from her pain, and Robin needed _her_. It was inappropriate, immoral even, but it was bliss and oblivion and pleasure and it worked, so when he kicked his bow out of the way and slammed her against the wall, Regina gave no protest, merely whimpering as she clawed at his chest, removing his shirt as fast as she could, needing to feel the warmth of his skin.

"Bloody corsets!" he cursed as he tried to remove her clothes, hating that there were so many intricate layers of fabric on her. She smirked at him, waving her hand in the air again and appearing suddenly naked before him, her hair loose and wild around her, and there was a darkness in his eyes, a predatory quality to his stance as he stared at her, that made Regina rub her thighs together in anticipation. Stretching out her arms again, she forced his body back to hers, her breath hitching when her bare skin met the cold wall behind her.

He was roaming his hands all over her now, mouth nipping and sucking at her neck, and she gasped when his fingers slid into her, circling lazily, exploring her.

"Robin," she moaned in his ear, and his lips left her neck to crash against hers again, sucking at her tongue as it ventured inside his mouth. He loved hearing her say his name. Her ways of addressing him in public never strayed from a disdainful utterance of 'thief' or 'outlaw', but when they were alone, when they were like this, his name would fall from her lips in that throaty, sexy voice of hers, and it was always his undoing.

Suddenly, he was naked too, her magic having done its job yet again and stripping him of the rest of his clothes. She moaned again as she grasped him, hot and hard and ready as her hand glided up and down his shaft, her thumb spreading the bead of moisture at his tip.

"Tell me what you want," he said against her lips, his fingers picking up the pace inside her, enough to drive her crazy but not bring her over the edge just yet. She gasped into his mouth, loving the way his fingers kept a steady rhythm against her clit while his other hand tangled in her hair and pulled. She moved her hands away from him and wrapped her legs around his waist, boosting herself up against the wall until she was positioned a couple of inches above him, grinding herself against his erection, his mouth now finding its way to her breasts.

"Tell me," he growled again, biting on a nipple hard enough to make her scream. He loved how uninhibited she was when they were like this, how the thrill of being caught spurred her on and made her even louder.

"You," she panted as he placed himself at her entrance, his tip sinking into her slowly. Regina's head dropped back against the wall, allowing Robin's tongue to trail up her neck as she spoke, "I want you."

He grinned in satisfaction, knowing she was worked up enough and would not take kindly to him stopping his attentions anytime soon, which is exactly why he did stop. She opened her eyes in annoyance.

"What the hell is your problem?" she fired at him, and he chuckled as he looked up at her, his eyes full of mischief.

"You forgot to say the magic word," he threw her earlier taunt back at her, and she growled at him, raking her nails down his chest, his abs.

"Is that so?" she teased, bringing her hand back down and touching him again, reveling in the little whimpers that left his mouth as she applied more pressure, knowing he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. When she rolled her hips, making him finally enter her in one smooth stroke, she knew she had him, and the hard, erratic thrusts that followed only served to prove her right.

He never did get her to say 'please', too wrapped up in her to even bother trying to pretend he could win, and he was fine with it, because as long as he could feel her move against him, as long as she kept dragging her tongue up his neck, plunging it into his mouth and tasting him, as long as he could have her this way, he didn't care about losing control, didn't care about surrendering the reins of his mind and body and soul to her. He was in too deep and he knew it, knew that this was just a fling, a distraction for her, but he was starting to want more than she offered, and that was the reason for his foul mood, the reason he had barged into her study in the first place.

He told her as much when they finished, after he was spent and breathing heavily into her neck, when her legs had landed softly on the floor and she'd let her head fall into his chest.

"It's not enough anymore," he confessed about their arrangement after admitting out loud that he had feelings for her, and she could do nothing but frown, so he continued speaking before she could stop him.

"Do not be mistaken. I'm addicted to you, and I will take whatever you want to give, but I thought it only fair that you know where I stand. I want more with you, I want everything with you, Regina."

"You don't know what you'd be dealing with, Robin," she told him, "I'm a mess. You can't possibly want that."

"On the contrary, milady, I know exactly who you are, and I've never wanted anyone more, but until you're willing to open your heart to me, I'm perfectly fine with just being here in whatever way you'll have me," he said, unwavering, his eyes strong and determined as they looked into hers.

She sagged against him, her head dropping back down to his chest, his arms limp at his sides while she calmed her breathing.

"In that case, could you just… hold me?" she asked, her voice muffled against his skin, and then she added a hesitant "please?" at the end. It was the first time she'd ever said that word to him, and he reveled in the significance of the gesture.

"Ah! So you _do_ know the magic word," he teased lightly, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly while she cried silently, letting her sadness come out for the briefest of moments while both of them stood naked and hidden in the shadows of this rarely visited side of the castle. He knew it wouldn't last long, that she'd slip back into regal mode and stride off with a harsh remark and a horrid comment, but the fact that she'd finally allowed him to see her while vulnerable, that she'd finally started to let him in, that was something no one would ever take away from him, not even her.

It takes her a curse and a year's worth of stolen memories to finally open up to him, and they remember nothing of their time together when it happens, but it's special and beautiful all the same, because she's everything he could ever want, and he would go to the ends of the earth for her.


	22. Bubbles

**I'm supposed to be cooling it with the prompts because I have to finish Take My Heart Back, but my friend Mauwee was dying for this and it really was an adorable prompt so I couldn't stop myself... you can blame Tumblr for this.**

**Prompt was a bath/shower scene with no sex but rather them being close and cute and adorable.**

**As usual, character's are ABC's, story is all mine**

**-B**

* * *

Robin of Locksley had come to understand that this new world he found himself in had many astonishing things. In the beginning, he'd been surprised at all the wonders that surrounded him, but as time passed, he was proud to say he'd acclimated to life in Storybrooke quite well, getting used to every marvel he'd encountered. That is, until he discovered one particular marvel that took his breath away: bubble baths. More specifically, bubble baths with Regina Mills.

Nothing in all the realms could have prepared him for the sight of this beautiful woman covered up to her shoulders in tufts of thick, white foam that smelled of lavender, skin glowing with the warm light of several candles she'd placed around the tub, and it made his insides burn with the need to touch her.

"Are you just gonna stand there and stare, or are you joining me?" she asked when she gauged his perplexed expression, and it took him only seconds to remove his clothes, carefully climbing in and loving the feel of the hot water as it rippled around him.

The tub was large and wide enough for two people to lie in it comfortably side by side, but Robin refused to put any distance between them, instead settling just behind her and against the walls of the tub so that she could lean into him, her legs encased in his, her back supported by his chest, head resting on the crook of his neck. Slowly so as not to disturb the quiet atmosphere, he massaged her breasts and then wrapped his arms around her under the water, her hands coming to rest above his over her belly button, and they hummed contentedly at the serene closeness, the scent from the bubbles drifting around them.

Robin couldn't remember being happier than he was right here, right now, wrapped around this stunning creature that had captured his very soul with her spark, her confidence, her kisses, and that vulnerability that she'd trusted him enough to reveal. Sighing, he tightened his hold on her and ghosted a finger over her bottom lip as she smiled with her eyes closed, and looking down at her he wondered how the hell he'd gotten lucky enough to share this very moment with her. It wasn't even about sex -though he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to bury himself inside her at every available opportunity-, it was about enjoying this blissful connection between them. It was about enjoying having his _soulmate_ in his arms.

He learned her body with his hands, massaging areas he knew would be tense from years of carrying herself uptight and rigid against the scrutiny of her mother, the king, and countless other people, and he loved the way she melted under his fingertips, the little sighs that escaped her as he continued his exploration of her, his lips on her neck as he placed tiny, loving kisses on the skin she revealed when she moved her hair to the side.

"You are exquisite," he murmured in her ear, and she turned her head to press a kiss to his lips in response, smiling when she pulled away.

"You're not so bad yourself," she winked, "although, there's something missing."

"Is there?" he asked with a frown, but Regina continued to smile, sitting up and moving slightly away from him to scoop a handful of bubbles and dump it on his hair, creating a pointy hat of sorts and laughing lightly at his disgruntled expression.

"Really?" he asked in fake annoyance, and her laughter only got louder when she used both hands to scoop yet more tufts of the foamy substance and turned to face him fully, placing the thick suds on his temples, drawing them out in peaks to match the one on the top of his head.

"Do you enjoy making me look like a court jester, your majesty?" he chided, but gave up trying to sound stern when she dropped her head against his chest and giggled.

"I actually think it looks quite sexy," she challenged, kissing his chin.

"Do you, now?"

"Definitely," she replied, though she was trying very hard to contain her laughter, which told Robin she was just playing with him, and he let her. Regina had been so closed off to the world, lashing out to anyone who dared venture too close to her heart, that he found it incredibly satisfying to see her in these rare moments, when she allowed herself to be light and free and uninhibited. It made her look younger and happier than he'd ever seen her, and it thrilled him to the point where he'd promised himself long ago that he would do anything to help her retain that innocence, that freedom she'd only just found again after it had been robbed from her.

Biting his lip, he bent forward and kissed her, taking advantage of her closed eyes to grab at the bubbles that surrounded them, covering her left cheek in them as he pulled back, and her eyes widened in mock outrage.

"You did not just do that," she whispered.

"Oh, but I did," he replied, smirking at her.

Regina narrowed her eyes and unceremoniously smacked at the bubbles, sending them everywhere, some of them landing on his face. His retaliation came in the form of a wave that he created by pushing the water forward with his hands, drenching her hair and covering her in the foam, and they laughed at each other as they kept splashing and thrashing in the water, until Regina was breathless and curled up against Robin's chest, his arms low on her back as she sat on his lap and they kissed languidly.

"As much as I love you, the taste of soap is not altogether pleasant," he said against her lips, pecking her cheek before he stood up, pulled out the stopper of the tub and extended his hand to her.

They spent the next few minutes in a naked embrace, bodies lolling back and forth as they enjoyed each other's warmth while the water drained from the tub. Once it was mostly gone, Robin let go of her so she could blow out what few candles remained lit, enjoying the view of her as she bent down towards the edge of the tub. They turned the shower on and stepped under it, letting the hot water wash the remnants of the bubbles from their bodies, and Robin then felt the urge to engage in one of his favorite activities.

"May I?" he asked, grabbing the shampoo bottle and looking at her. Regina smiled sweetly, nodding her permission and turning around so he could wash her hair.

The scent of something sweet and vanilla reached their nostrils as he poured the shampoo on his hand, massaging it into her head softly, eliciting little moans from her that stirred every nerve in him. Slowly, he rinsed the suds away, placing a kiss on her shoulder when he was done, and they took the time to caress and wash each other's bodies under the spray, until the relaxing smells and soothing motions had them smiling stupidly at each other.

When the water was off, Robin grabbed a towel from the hook on the wall and wrapped it around Regina's body, rubbing over it in several places while he dried her off, and she hummed in appreciation, letting him kiss a path down her spine and back up before she turned in his arms with a sleepy grin on her face. Bringing his lips to hers again, Robin sighed into her mouth, the taste of her sweet and warm and delicious now that the soap was gone.

He dried himself off quickly while she watched him, her eyes raking over his form appreciatively. He loved when she looked at him like that, like she couldn't get enough of him, because he felt the same way with her.

"What now, milady?" he asked her when they'd reached the bedroom, her towel wrapped around her body, his around his waist.

"How about a nap?"

"Perfect," he replied, moving to the dresser to pull out pajamas for them both, but she put a hand on his arm to stop him.

"No clothes allowed," she said, smiling and looking up at him through her eyelashes, "I want to have my way with you when we wake up."

"Even better," Robin told her, walking back towards the bed and lifting the covers. Regina dropped her towel and climbed into the fresh sheets, sighing in satisfaction when he put his arms around her as he joined her. She was relaxed and drowsy and absolutely beautiful, and he murmured words of love and devotion into her hair while she did the same against the skin of his chest.

Regina dozed off in his arms, and he couldn't help but smile. Because despite the trials they'd endured and the heartbreak they'd suffered, here in her bed, with her hair splayed out over him, her breath upon his skin and her heartbeat lulling him to sleep, he knew for sure that there was no place else he'd rather be.


	23. Yours

_**Got this anonymous prompt on Tumblr: a fic where Robin tries sleeping with Marian to save his marriage but it doesn't work. He goes back to Regina and finds out he slept with Marian and is really angry.**_

_**Now, I don't really think Regina would get angry, because that would mean she thinks she deserves to have Robin more than Marian does and we all know that's not how she feels. Our queen is devastated, yes, but she doesn't think she deserves to be happy, so making her angry at Robin for trying to work things out with his wife just seemed OOC to me. I hope my take on this prompt is still good enough for you guys, though!**_

_**I own nothing but the feels (and the story, I own that too)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**-B**_

* * *

She was writhing, gasping against him in pleasure, moving her hips the way she knew he liked, teeth grazing his chin as he moved into her. Nothing, he felt nothing.

He'd wanted to try, wanted to reclaim that bond he'd once had with her, hoping that it would restore some semblance of normalcy to his heart, that it would remind him of the love he'd felt for her and how happy they'd been together before she was ripped from him, but all tonight had done was prove to him that he had changed, that his heart no longer belonged to the long-haired woman breathing out his name as she moved on top of him.

Marian was beautiful, an enticing creature of soft curves and full lips that he'd once loved to nibble and kiss at every available opportunity, but there was none of that fire now, no passion, nothing. Sure, the act in itself was physically pleasant, as sex usually was, but it felt automatic, like his body was merely responding to stimulation and not really enjoying the attentions that his wife was giving him, and try as he might to convince himself that it was because he was tired, that he was just too spent from his day of searching for Elsa with Emma and David, that he just needed some sleep, Robin knew that the real reason behind this strange lull in his sexual enjoyment was that he was making love to the wrong woman.

A loud moan from Marian told him she had reached her release, and he pulled out of her and made his way to the bathroom, too ashamed to look her in the eye.

The next morning, they talked. She cried, asking over and over again for him to give it another try, for him to at least give them some time to adjust to being in each other's lives again, but he'd been shaking his head even before she uttered such proposition.

It'd been a hurtful evening, and he felt like a coward for making the mother of his child so sad, but there was no choice, there never had been. He confirmed that when he showed up at Regina's that very same night, knocking on her door, desperate for a glimpse of her and flinching when she'd made a harsh comment, telling him to go home to his wife.

"I have no wife," he answered, and that made her stop moving the door she'd intended to close in his face.

"Yes, you do, I met her, she called me a monster in front of everyone, remember?" she spat, and he frowned, looking down for a moment before he took the two steps necessary to reach her and look deep into her eyes, wanting to make absolutely sure she understood what he was about to say.

"Marian and I are no longer together. Our marriage here is a charade, we're both very different people now, and I don't love her."

Regina looked down, afraid to believe him, scared to death of embracing his words, but then he cupped her face in his hand, rubbing his thumb over her cheekbone, getting her to look back up at him as tears gathered in her eyes.

"I love _you_, Regina," he confessed, pouring every single ounce of the feeling into his declaration so that there was no room for her to doubt it. Her gasp was a sharp one, her hand flying to circle around his wrist by her face, her lips trembling as she tried to find a way to respond. He knew she needed reassurance, so he said it again, leaning closer.

"I love you. I am completely, madly in love with you, and I don't ever want to let you go."

That did it, and there was an intake of breath that Robin wasn't sure whose it was, but then it didn't matter because she was kissing him, her lips engulfing his in urgent, frenzied sucks and nibbles that had him groaning and rocking against her. There it was, that fire he'd missed so much, the slow burn that scorched him and made him feel alive. It had never been this intense with Marian, even when they'd been happy together, he'd never felt this pull, this crackling energy that made him want more and more of Regina both physically and emotionally, the simultaneous waves of intense pleasure and love never stopping their course through his body.

Her hands grasped at his sides, fisting in his jacket as she walked backwards into the house, Robin using his foot to close the door behind him, his lips never leaving hers, tongue darting out to deepen the kiss.

"Gods, I've missed you," he rasped into her mouth, moaning at the taste of her. She said nothing, but the way her nails raked against his skin under his shirt was enough for him to know she'd missed him too.

They ended up on the couch, too wrapped up in each other to make it all the way upstairs and to the bed, but he didn't mind. The sight of her, naked and panting beneath him while his fingers explored her, ventured into her slick folds while his tongue blazed a trail from her nipples to her jaw, it was like nothing else he'd ever seen. He loved this woman, desired her above anything and anyone else, and he would never want another in the same way, would never feel this toe-curling heat with anyone but her. Regina was his soul mate, and pixie dust did not lie.

After, when they were both spent and cozy in each other's arms, Robin sighed with relief. He hadn't realized how anxious he was, how out of place he'd felt these last few days, but now that he was holding her, his tension had melted away, giving room for more pleasant emotions to emerge. Her head was resting on his chest, his arm around her, fingers playing with her hair while his other hand held hers on top of his stomach, and the happy sigh that left her lips as he scratched lightly at her scalp had him tilting his head down so he could kiss her, trading lazy presses of his lips with hers, languidly running his tongue against hers and humming at the sensation.

"How is she?" Regina asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"As well as can be expected, I suppose," he murmured, drawing her closer and placing a kiss on her forehead, "she was very distraught at first, but she conceded that there was no point in trying anymore if I didn't love her."

"I'm sorry," she whispered against the skin of his chest, "I know you didn't want her to get hurt."

"She would've been worse off if we stayed together. It wasn't fair to either of us, or to you."

To that, Regina said nothing, cuddling into him and playing with his fingers on his stomach, drawing his hand up to hers to kiss his knuckles, but he could feel the tension in her, knew there was something she wanted to ask but couldn't bring herself to do it.

"What is it?" he prodded, not wanting any secrets between them.

"Nothing, it's none of my business, and you're here now, so it doesn't matter," she said, brushing it off and burying her head into the crook of his neck, but he wasn't letting her get away that easily. Squeezing her against him for a moment, he turned them both to their sides, facing each other, and propped his head on his elbow, draping his other arm around her waist, their noses bumping together softly in the crammed space as he whispered "tell me, please," and she sighed against his lips, gearing herself up to voice her concerns.

"Did you… do this," she began, gesturing to their current state, "with her?"

Robin could've lied, could have spared her the pain he knew the truth would cause, but that wasn't who they were. Their relationship had been based on honesty since day one, sometimes to the point of being brutal, but it was the way they worked, and he'd never do anything to jeopardize their dynamic, to lose the trust she'd so fearfully placed in him.

"Yes," he told her, and flinched at the flicker of pain he saw in her eyes as he did. He drew her into his arms again, and though her body was rigid against him, she made no move to extricate herself from his hold, which he took as a good sign.

"I'm sorry," he said in her ear, and she shook her head slightly.

"She was your wife, it was only natural that you'd… I shouldn't be so upset about this," she said, a look of unmeasured anger crossing her face before she schooled it into a neutral expression.

"It's alright to be mad, I would be too, if you'd slept with someone else in my absence," he told her, the mere thought of Regina gasping in pleasure at another man's touch making him tense.

"Was she… I mean… did you like it?" she asked nervously, and he chuckled against her hair. Wrong move.

"Is this _funny_ to you?" she asked indignantly, moving away from him now and looking at him in outrage.

"No! I just—" she cut him off before he could make his excuses.

"Do you have any idea how miserable I was? How close I was to slipping back into my evil ways just so I could have _something_ tethering me to this world? And now you come into my house, into my bed—"

"Technically, it's your couch," he interjected, and she glared at him.

"If this is all a game to you, you might as well leave," she said, moving away and turning so that her back was to him, and when he saw the way her shoulders were shaking, he felt awful. He hadn't meant to make light of the situation, he'd only been amused at her question because of how ridiculous it was, because _of course_ he hadn't liked having sex with Marian, that's exactlywhat had made him realize he no longer belonged with her.

"Regina," he breathed, placing kisses on her back, his hand finding her waist under the throw blanket he'd draped over them earlier, "please look at me," he begged, and the tone of his voice had her turning around to face him again. Her eyes were dry, but he could see how hard she was straining to contain the tears, so he kissed the tip of her nose and smiled at her.

"I tried to make love to her… once," he admitted, and her expression tightened at his words, but he pushed on, eyes focused on his hand now playing with the ends of her hair, and he was enthralled by the movement.

"I… I wanted to see if… if maybe by connecting physically, I could find a way to connect emotionally. It didn't work. I found no joy in it, no pleasure, it was like I was performing because it was expected of me, not because I wanted to be with her," he said, shifting his gaze to look into her eyes before he continued, "I felt nothing. Here was the mother of my child, alive and naked in my arms after I spent years convincing myself that would never happen again, and I felt nothing. There's nothing left in me of the man that loved and desired Marian. There's no room for her in me anymore. You, Regina, you've taken up residence in my entire being, and I could never even entertain the possibility of someone else. I'm yours."

She'd lost the fight against her emotions now, letting the tears roll freely down her cheeks, but he could see the tiniest hint of a grin and moved closer to kiss it.

"I'm sorry it had to come to that for me to see how much I love you, and I'm so sorry I upset you, but know that no one has or ever will take your place in my heart."

Her smile was huge and bright now, and it did things to him, set butterflies aflutter in his belly. Moving a hand to the side of her neck, he brought their lips together, laying a series of light pecks there before he whispered another "I love you" and lingered a hair's breadth from her.

"I love you, too," she finally said. It was the first time he'd ever heard those words from her, and it rocked him, ignited a fire in him that had him crashing his mouth down to hers again, desperate this time, teeth grazing her bottom lip, his tongue soothing the sting of the bite as his hand traveled upwards from her waist to her breasts, and as they sank into each other, he knew there would never be anything else like this, because he'd always been hers, and now, now she was his, too.


	24. Forget the Code

_**This is for my Tumblr wife Kitty, who saw the BTS pics of little Roland with a walkie talkie and asked for a fic of a parent trap kind of situation with Roland and Henry and their walkies... I wanted to make it a happy thing because we could all use some happy feels right now but the angsty bits just sort of came out, hopefully it's still cute and fluffy enough that you all like it =)**_

_**Once again, I own nothing except the feels-filled story.**_

_**-B.**_

* * *

Night had fallen over Storybrooke, its characteristic chill in the air sending inhabitants scrambling to their heating devices and fireplaces. Everyone was rushing to the warmth of home, children bundled up in coats and scarves, hurried along by parents who walked briskly down the rain-sleeked streets. But there was one boy who wasn't following the rush of the crowd, one boy who currently hid in the bushes by the park, holding a magical box with a tiny button that, if pressed, allowed him to talk to the chief of the operation he was currently taking part in.

"Cobra to Furry Monkey, I am in position, over," the mastermind's voice came through the speaker, and Roland made sure to press the button firmly, like Henry had taught him, before he spoke into the device.

"I'm hiding in the bushes like you said, Henry."

"Roland, I've told you, while we're doing this you have to call me Cobra, it's part of the mission," Henry whined over the walkie-talkie, and Roland apologized immediately, adopting an official tone to his voice when he spoke again.

"Sorry, Cobra, sir. I'm waiting for… for…" he trailed off.

"Outlaw and Queen," Henry supplied.

"Yes, papa and Regina!" he exclaimed.

"Roland, the whole point of using code names is so that no one finds out about our plan, you can't say their real names out loud," Henry explained again.

"Right, sorry," the little boy apologized again, and then his eyes widened when he spotted Regina walking down the street in his direction, though she hadn't yet noticed him there.

"The queen is here," he said into the walkie-talkie, and shoved it haphazardly in the pocket of his jeans when Henry gave the command to start the mission.

Regina was rubbing her hands together against the cold, shaking her head slightly to push her hair away from her face, when she saw something move in the bushes ahead of her. She paused, fireball already forming in her hand as she addressed whatever was hiding there.

"Show yourself and I'll let you live," she spat, not in the mood for games. Her face softened and the fireball extinguished itself when Roland stumbled out of his hiding place, a shy pout on his lips as he stared up at her with his big brown eyes.

"Roland? Sweetie what are you doing out here all by yourself?" she asked him, crouching down in front of him and cupping his tiny face in her hands.

"I was looking for you," he said, all innocence and affection as he hugged her.

"Why, what's wrong?"

"I was walking in the woods with Friar Tuck and I got lost, ended up here, and papa once told me you knew Storybook better than anyone so I wanted to find you."

"It's Storybrooke, and I do. Come on, let's get you to the Sheriff's station, your father is probably worried," she said, standing up and offering him her hand, but he hesitated, looking up at her again.

"There's no one there, papa went out to the forest with Emma and David and the Merry Men, and mama is working with Granny."

"Then let me take you to your mother."

"I don't want to go with her, I want to go with you," he said, putting on the charm as he stared up at her. Regina sighed, she knew Roland was having trouble adapting to having a mother now, and that he'd ran away from his home more than once when he was left alone with her. Now that Robin and Marian were no longer together, it was even more difficult to get the boy to stay with her for more than a half hour, and Regina knew that if she left him at Granny's with her, he'd only run out again.

"Fine, let's go to my house, I'll make you hot cocoa and we can have your father pick you up, okay?" she offered, and Roland finally took her hand.

"Can we go to the camp first? I want to get my monkey," he asked, stopping her in her tracks. She gave him a long breath in answer, but nodded her head and gifted him with a small smile, detouring towards the woods where the Merry Men had set up their tents.

The camp was deserted when they got there, as Henry and Roland knew it would be. They'd told Little John that someone had seen the Snow Queen somewhere in the outskirts of town, and they'd immediately gone to check it out. The Queen was after Bo Peep's staff, as she wanted to find Anna before the others and use her against Elsa, so because that staff was their most prized weapon at the moment, they knew Robin would have stayed behind at the camp guarding it, in case the Snow Queen came looking for it while the Merry Men were away.

Roland suddenly let go of Regina's hand, running away from her and towards one of the tents.

"Roland wait!" she shouted after him, treading through the wet forest floor as fast as she could to catch up with him, but the boy was faster, reaching the tent in no time and hiding behind it, pulling out his walkie-talkie and calling for Henry.

"Cobra to Furry Monkey, are you at Little John's tent yet? Did everything go as planned? Over," the older boy asked in a hurried whisper, and Roland nodded, then remembered Henry couldn't see him and spoke breathlessly into the device.

"Yeah I'm here! She's here, too, and papa's in the big tent, where are you, Cobra?"

"I'm coming over to you now, wait there, we'll guide mom to the tent together," Henry said, and appeared next to Roland no more than five minutes later.

"Good job, buddy," he told the younger boy, high-fiving him silently where they hid behind Little John's tent. They could see Regina a little ways away, looking around for Roland, so Henry grabbed a pine cone from the floor and threw it in the direction of the big tent, where they knew Robin would be.

Regina heard something to her left, and instantly walked there, smiling to herself at Roland's antics. He was adorable, but he was most certainly a handful sometimes.

"Roland," she called as she opened a flap in the tent and walked in, "I can't run all around these woods in these shoes, please just stay…" she trailed off when she saw it was Robin and not his son who was inside the tent.

"…still. I'm sorry, I didn't know you'd be here," she apologized nervously, making to get out of the tent, but Robin stopped her.

"Were you calling for Roland? I thought he was with his mother."

"I found him in the park, he said he was with Tuck and got lost walking through the woods, and he asked me to come with him to get his stuffed monkey, I didn't know he was supposed to be with Marian, I'm sorry, I—," she rambled, but he stopped her, raising a hand in front of him.

"It's alright, it seems we both got played," he smiled in reassurance, moving to take her hand, but thinking better of it when he saw the way her frazzled nerves showed on her face.

"I… I should go," she said, moving away from him.

"No, wait!" he said, and then he did grab her hand, and Henry and Roland smiled giddily from where they were hiding outside, listening to their conversation and watching the shadows of their parents move as the light from the nearby fire cast them against the walls of the tent.

"Robin," she began, ready to bolt.

"No, listen to me, Marian and I, it wasn't love, not this time, that's why we ended our marriage, we both knew I was kidding myself, I don't love her."

"Robin, stop," she admonished.

"I love you, Regina," he said, seizing his chance, and tears welled up in her eyes instantly.

"What did it take?" she asked him, and he sensed anger lacing her tone.

"I don't follow…"

"Come on, Roland, let's give them some time alone," Henry quietly told the little boy outside the tent, sensing the direction of the conversation. He led him away to the trees, where they sat and watched the shadows of their parents continue to move in the tent, Regina walking frantically in the enclosed space, arms crossed.

* * *

"What did it take for you to realize you loved me?" she asked, "was it when you kissed her? When you chose your ridiculous vow over being happy with me? When you slept with her?" she barked, frustration rolling out of her in waves.

"Regina," he tried to explain, but she didn't let him.

"No, I am not some toy you can just pick and drop whenever you please, I've had enough of being someone's plaything to last me a lifetime," she told him, every bit the regal, strong woman he had come to love and respect.

Slowly, he walked towards her, stretching out his hand and letting his fingers brush her cheek when she didn't turn away, but the tears in her eyes were like knives through his soul.

"I made a mistake," he admitted, "and I'm so sorry for the pain I caused you."

"Sorry doesn't cut it. You made a choice, you can't just go back on that."

"I'm not going back on anything, my heart has always chosen you, even when my messed up mind didn't."

"Yes, well, you had a code, remember? A code you told me you couldn't live without. Your heart's choice wasn't enough before, why should that change now?" her voice was rising in her desperation, and Robin stopped it the only way he knew how, by planting his lips firmly on hers, his hands cupping her face, thumbs running back and forth over her cheekbones as his mouth moved hotly against hers for a few delicious seconds when she finally responded, pulling apart to speak into the space between them, his forehead against hers.

"Because if living by that code means I don't get to touch you, kiss you, hold you in my arms every waking moment, then I don't want to live by that code anymore," he said fervently, "but I can't prove that to you unless you let me!"

"Why would I let you?! So you can cast me aside next time your precious honor is tested?!"

"Don't you dare pretend like this was easy for me," he said, his own anger bubbling now.

"Oh yes, I can imagine how hard it must have been to have to go back to your happy family," she spat.

"You've no idea how frustrating it was, having my wife back and not feeling even an ounce of the love I used to feel for her, to have her there in my arms and be consumed by thoughts of _you_."

"You think it was any easier on me? Seeing you with her, walking down the street holding Roland like no time had gone by and you had always been together, like we meant nothing?!"

"That is exactly where you're wrong, you stubborn woman, you meant _everything_!"

"As proven by the fact that you chose _her_," she said sarcastically, and Robin gave an exasperated growl, moving past her and making for the entrance of the tent.

"Don't you walk away from me!" she yelled after him, and he turned to look at her, his eyes flaring with unmeasured heat.

"You've clearly made up your mind about me, why should I stay?!" he barked at her, and Regina could see it, could see him walking away and never coming back, and suddenly she didn't want to fight anymore, suddenly she was tired of putting up that wall between them, of pushing him away and hurting him so that he wouldn't hurt her first, so instead of arguing further, she told him the truth.

"Because I love you, you idiot!" she snapped, and finally let the tears fall when he all but ran back to her, her shoulders sagging as she leaned into him, crying into his chest when he dropped his hands from her face and wrapped his arms around her.

"I've got you, I've got you now," he murmured against her hair, planting kisses there while she let her anguish leak out of her in hot, salty tears.

* * *

From outside, Roland and Henry watched, smiling when they saw that the shadows of their parents were holding each other.

"I think it worked," Roland said excitedly, "let's go!"

"Wait," Henry warned, watching intently, "let's give them some more time, just in case."

"But they're hugging!"

"Just wait a little while longer, Roland, we don't want the mission to fail, right?" Henry asked, and Roland shook his head solemnly.

"No, Cobra," he said, and Henry chuckled.

"We're not using the walkies, you can call me Henry now."

"Okay," Roland said, still not grasping the need for different names, but then he turned back to the shadows cast against the tent and watched as the figures moved again.

* * *

Regina drew away from Robin, tilting her head up to look at him and giving him a small smile.

"So… you're in love with me, huh?" she asked, her frustration ebbing away as she let herself believe his words at last.

"Madly so," he replied with an easy grin, tightening his hold on her and bringing his lips down to hers.

"You do realize this was all Roland's doing, right?" she asked when they parted, and Robin frowned at her.

"Really? You think so?"

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that a little boy who was raised by forest-dwelling thieves gets lost in the woods, then conveniently finds me and leads me to where you are? He definitely planned it," she laughed into his chest, realizing it now.

"He can't have come up with all this on his own," Robin ventured, and it dawned on Regina.

"Henry," she breathed.

"Yes, I'm quite sure he had a hand in this as well."

"The little scoundrels," she said, though she couldn't bring herself to be mad at them, not for this.

"Shall we go outside and find them? Tell them their plan worked?" he asked, pecking her lips before smiling at her.

"Not just yet," she said, her hands rubbing up and down his chest before fisting on the lapels of his green jacket, "let's stay here for a moment."

Robin nodded his agreement, his chin bumping slightly against her forehead before he pulled back and took a few seconds to just look at her.

"What?" she asked, nervous under his intense gaze.

"I've missed you so much," he rasped, and she could feel his shoulders shaking with the relief he felt at having her back in his arms again, could sense the way his entire being relaxed when she finally embraced him, arching her body so that she was flush against him and running her fingers through his hair, nails scratching at his scalp.

"I've missed you, too," she whispered, and then he was kissing her again, his tongue tasting her for the first time in weeks, and the appreciative moan that left his mouth vibrated against her own, making her gasp for breath as she brought him ever closer, the kiss intensifying, the heat building. His hands roamed her body, cupping her rear, moving back up, then down again to her waist, his fingers digging into her flesh, as if he was terrified of letting her go ever again.

"So… are we okay?" he asked her tentatively, and she grinned at him, biting her bottom lip before she spoke.

"We're fine, just… don't let that code of yours drag you away from me again," she said, her voice shaky, and he could see it, the damage he'd done, the hesitation he'd planted in her heart with his previous actions, and so he gave her the only answer he knew would reassure her.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he whispered before catching her lips again.


	25. No More Armor

_**For Elodie, who asked for a ficlet about OQ being adorable with their height difference now that casual, no-heels Regina is a thing.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**-B.**_

* * *

There are many, many things about Regina that Robin loves, but it isn't until he sees her walking towards him in the alley close to Granny's diner that he decides on his favorite one.

Ever since he'd met her, he'd noticed how she carried herself, the way she projected a certain image in order to keep people at bay. Back in the Enchanted Forest, she'd shroud herself in expensive gowns with rich fabrics and intricate patterns, heavy make-up and over-the-top twists and ornaments in her hair, gigantic jewels and lush coats completing the effect. Here in Storybrooke, it was all sleek dresses in dark, bold colors, suits and pantyhose and elegant jewelry to accent her wealth and power, every bit the mayor and every bit the queen. While her wardrobes for each land were vastly different, they both served the same purpose: armor. Robin had long learned that the way Regina dressed, asserting her superiority, creating that intimidating façade, was her way of protecting herself, of keeping her feelings locked away, her way of avoiding getting hurt, as she had been so many times before.

Now, however, there is something new about her, something he absolutely adores, and that is her height. She'd worn ridiculously high heels both as queen and as mayor, but now she is neither, now she's just _Regina_, and so her wardrobe has changed again, from the extravagant dresses and designer suits to comfortable, thin shirts and open vests, loose-fitted slacks and little make up, no jewels and, more importantly, no heels. The lack of that despondent image she used to project doesn't tarnish her or diminish the strength with which she carries herself, not at all, but the fact that she feels free enough to not need the armor her clothes provide her, to not need to tower over everyone, it makes something stir in Robin's heart.

She reaches him in a few short minutes, frowning at the pensive look on his face and asking him if something is wrong. Robin shakes his head, snaking his arms around her and bringing her flush against him, loving the way she fits perfectly under his chin now that she's wearing flats, allowing him to bury his nose in the top of her head and take in the sweet, delicious scent of her hair.

"Have I mentioned how much I love the fact that you no longer wear heels?" he asks her, looking down at her and smiling.

"Once or twice," she chuckles when she looks up at him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. He indulges her for a few seconds, before leaning his head down to her, forcing her to lay her feet flat against the pavement again. His arms tighten around her, his lips insistent and warm, and Regina moans at the sensations coursing through her.

"Not that I'm complaining, I mean I'm certainly a lot more comfortable, but I don't know why you like it so much. I'm too short for you without them," she smirks when they part, and he leans his forehead against hers for a moment before he speaks into the space between them.

"Ah, you see, there are many perks to the height difference between us, your majesty."

"Are there, now?" she asks cheekily.

"Why, yes," he begins, planting a kiss on her forehead, "for starters, you look utterly endearing, and I feel like I could carry you around in my pocket if I wanted to," he says, bopping her nose with his finger before he kisses her warm mouth again, "I also love that I can put my arm around your shoulders and tuck you against me when we walk," he adds against her lips, "and that you can rest your head against my chest when we're standing on the sidewalk and listen to the way my heart stutters when I hold you."

At his lovely words, Regina raises her head and kisses him, soft and slow, her tongue savoring his languidly before they part again.

"And I love that you have to tilt your head up and I have to lean down so we can kiss, and that by just turning my head I can get a whiff of that delicious vanilla smell in your hair that drives me crazy… shall I go on?" he asks, smirking at her.

"You've said enough," she replies with amusement dancing in her eyes, "now come back down here and kiss me," she teases, and Robin happily obliges, bringing his lips down to hers again and tasting her, sucking at her bottom lip and grazing it with his teeth, knowing what it does to her. Sure enough, he feels that needy little moan he loves so much come out of her mouth and into his, the sound igniting his whole body.

"Gods, I love it when you do that," he whispers against her mouth, and she bites his lip before bringing her hands down from his chest and hooking her wrists around his waist. His hands then squeeze her hips before they move up and dive into her hair.

"Robin," she says between kisses, "we need to—_mmm_… we really need to stop."

"No, we really don't," he says, moving his head further down to her neck, sucking at her pulse point.

"We're right outside Granny's," she all but whimpers, unable to keep her voice steady when he's lavishing the skin of her neck with his tongue, "someone's bound to see us."

"Let them see," he rasps, pulling a little on her hair as his fingers continue to tangle themselves in it.

While Robin was sure about his decision to end his marriage, he'd felt bad about Marian's heartbreak and had wanted to ease her pain, so he and Regina had agreed to keep their reconciliation a secret for a while, in order to give Marian time to heal before she had to see them together. But it's been quite a while already, and he's tired of sneaking around. The fact of the matter is that he's chosen Regina, wants to spend the rest of his life with her if she'll have him, and he is not going to hide that any longer.

"Are you sure?" she asks in a tentative whisper, reacting to what he'd said, "I know you wanted to wait for Marian to feel better about it all before we…" she trailed off. Robin nods, looking down into her eyes as she raises her face up to his.

"I'm completely sure. It's been over a month, and I love you," he says as he kisses the tip of her nose, "_you_ are my happiness, Regina, nothing else matters."

She gives him a watery smile, standing on her tiptoes again so she can kiss him, appreciating the new angle in the kiss when he tilts his head to the side and presses his mouth more firmly against hers, sucking gently at her bottom lip. When they part, all she gives him is a satisfied little hum, but Robin lives for that sound, and he beams at her before gesturing to the diner.

"Shall we, milady?" he asks, then falls into step with her when she begins to move.

Regina grins when he puts his arm around her shoulders and brings her close so she can wrap hers around his waist. They walk like that to the main door at Granny's, holding each other, her head close to his chest, fingers tracing lazy patterns where they touch the other's body, his lips planting kisses on her temple. It's silly and cozy and perfect, and he's absolutely right, she realizes, maybe ditching the heels was a good idea, after all.


	26. Distance

_**I saw a prompt on the OQ tag the other day, where Roland uses the walkie talkie to tell Regina he misses her and couldn't resist it so here, have some Dimples Queen and Outlaw Queen feels before tonight's episode.**_

_**-B.**_

_**PS: as much as I wish I did, I don't own these characters, please don't sue me.**_

* * *

The loud bang of the door as it slammed behind him startled him for a moment, he hadn't realized he was so strong, and for a second he felt guilty, because he knew that what he had done was not something good little boys did. But he didn't _want_ to be a good little boy right now, he was too angry for that.

He was supposed to see Regina three days ago, she was going to show him another of the moving pictures on the big magical box in her living room. This one, she'd told him, was about a nanny that jumped around on chimneys and took the kids she cared for to other worlds with her and sang songs and danced with penguins. He'd been so excited about it, packing a bag with his stuffed monkey and a scarf and some books he wanted to show Henry, and then his papa had come into the room and told him he wouldn't be seeing Regina that night.

He'd asked to see her the next day, and then the next. Papa had stopped responding, walking out of the room whenever Roland mentioned Regina, so he was left with his mama, whose answer to his question was always a kind "not today, honey, maybe tomorrow," that Roland was beginning to realize was a way of making him stop asking.

He couldn't understand why mama kept telling him that it wasn't a good idea. Gina was nice and brave and pretty and she baked cookies with him and read him stories and used magic to make the dragons in Henry's LEGO castles fly around them while they played, she was wonderful. His papa had told him when they moved to this house last week that it would be difficult for mama to get used to living here, to understand that Regina was not the bad queen anymore, and Roland was trying really hard to be a good boy so that mama could like it here, but when he'd overheard her earlier, telling Henry's other mom that Regina was evil and should be punished, he'd gotten angry and behaved badly, knocking over a flower vase from the table and refusing to apologize for his tantrum when his father asked him to, which is what had gotten him sent to his room in the end.

Stomping his feet loudly on the floor several times, Roland huffed and threw his weight on the window seat, staring out of the glass panes at the people milling in and out of Granny's.

A few minutes later, an idea occurred to him, and he called himself silly for not thinking of it before. Getting up and walking back to his drawers, Roland rummaged through the many strange toys Henry had let them pillage from his room until he found what he was looking for. Twisting the little black button at the top of the small blue box, he heard the strange static and heaved a sigh of relief because he'd turned it on correctly, like Henry had taught him. Smiling, he made sure his door was locked and hid under the covers of his bed before whispering loudly against the magical box, the antenna brushing his nose.

"Regina? Gina are you there?"

* * *

Regina walked around the upstairs level of her house in a morose state, turning off lights automatically and closing doors left ajar, so that the wind wouldn't slam them closed while she slept. She was passing by Henry's empty room when she heard a voice.

Her hand immediately stretched out in front of her, a fireball forming on it as she used Henry's door as cover and then quickly opened it, ready to pulverize the intruder. However, there was no one, not even a trace that someone had been there, and it made Regina frown. She was sure she'd heard a voice, she couldn't be imagining things, could she?

And then, as if he'd heard her on the other end, Roland spoke from somewhere under Henry's pillow.

"Gina, please answer," he begged, his voice shaky. Finally, Regina found the walkie-talkie and brought it to her lips, fingers working adeptly at the buttons of the device, as if it hadn't been years since she'd used them with Henry while they did scavenger hunts in the park.

"Roland I'm here, what is it, are you alright? Are you home? Please tell me you're not lost somewhere again," she begged, and Roland laughed into the walkie, his giggling drawing a smile out of her.

"I'm okay, but I did a bad thing," he said, and Regina felt tears spring to her eyes as she listened to his defeated tone, picturing his little pout and downcast eyes in her mind perfectly.

"What did you do?"

"I broke something."

"It was an accident, I'm sure everything will be fine," she said automatically, but Roland was shaking his head, already speaking over her, causing static to break through the walkie.

"Mama wouldn't let me see you, and I got mad, so I threw her pretty vase to the floor and broke it," he told her, and her sharp intake of breath was heard through the device as she gathered her bearings. She'd assumed that Roland missing their date a few days ago was due to Marian not wanting him anywhere near her, but it still hurt to hear it confirmed.

"Honey, you can't act that way. Letting anger get the best of you is not a good thing, and you're a good boy, you're my brave knight, right?" she asked, prompting them both to remember when he'd declared himself as much back in the Enchanted Forest, when Little John had uttered a very distasteful comment –still apprehensive about her back then- and Roland had puffed out his chest and defended her honor.

"Right," Roland said into the walkie then.

"Well, knights can't go around breaking things and treating their mamas badly, now, can they?"

"I guess so."

"You have to apologize to your mother," she said then, her tone firm.

"I don't want to, I'm mad at her."

"Roland, she loves you very much, and your behavior hurt her, you can't hurt your mama like that."

"But she won't let me see you!" he said desperately, the rise in his voice making a sharp, high-pitched sound come through the walkie and straight into her ear, and Regina winced before she spoke again.

"I know, but you just have to be strong. Once she gets used to living here, she might feel better about you coming over and we can spend time together again then, okay?"

"But I don't want to wait, it's not my fault she's angry, I want to see you," he was crying now, she could tell by the slight sniffle that accompanied his words. He was right, she realized, it wasn't his fault the adults were at a loss as to how to handle this situation, he shouldn't have to pay for the choices she or his parents made.

"I know, but for now we have to stay apart for a little while."

"But I miss you," he sobbed quietly into the device, and that was all it took for the tears she'd been trying to hold back to start running down her cheeks in earnest.

"I miss you too, sweetheart. Very much," she said, her voice breaking, "but you know what? Now we have the walkies, we can talk every night before you go to bed. Would you like that?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed, perking up at the idea.

And so it went on for two, three, ten days after that, with Roland softly calling "Gina?" into Henry's walkie-talkie every night after his parents went to bed, telling her about his day, about how much he missed her, and she in turn regaled him with plans of what they would do when they finally got to spend time together again, telling him about places they would go, treats they would bake. She promised him popcorn and movies and to let him pick apples from her tree with her and Henry, told him bedtime stories about princes and dragons and evil queens that found hope again thanks to the help of dashing little boys with dimples, and all the while her heart wept for him.

She missed him, missed the lovely dynamic they had so effortlessly settled into, missed the way she would walk down the street, holding his hand, getting him ice cream while she and Robin smiled at each other like idiots. And then once she allowed herself to remember the boy's father, her pain intensified.

While Roland prattled on about his day at Granny's, Regina could do nothing but think of Robin. Robin, who she would catch fondly staring at her while she played with his son. Robin, who would suddenly lean in and kiss her just because he could, who didn't care that people were staring as he grabbed her hand or held her in public, who would lick away the bead of chocolate ice cream dripping from the corner of her mouth where Roland had excitedly shoved the cone in her face to get her to try it. Robin, who loved her, but couldn't be with her.

As she shook her head to bring herself out of her reverie, Regina noticed that Roland was no longer speaking, the walkie having gone silent minutes ago.

"Roland?" she called, "Roland are you still there?" but no answer, and she smiled tenderly as she realized he'd probably fallen asleep, as he had many times in previous nights.

"Sweet dreams, my knight," she said into the walkie, knowing he wouldn't hear her but wanting to say good night all the same.

The device was quiet for a few seconds, and then she heard static coming through and grinned, thinking he was probably shuffling around in bed and moving the device with him. What she didn't expect was to hear Robin's deep voice greeting her from the other side of the line.

"Hello, Regina."

"Um… hi," she said uncertainly, trying to find words to explain what had been going on the past few nights, but it seemed he already had an inkling, because he was chuckling on the other end.

"I knew he was up to something when he kept asking to go to bed early," he said.

"I'm sorry, I know Marian doesn't want him to be near me and I understand, but he was so sad, I couldn't just not talk to him."

"Regina, it's fine. Truth be told, I'm not crazy about this arrangement, and I'm trying to convince Marian to let him spend some time with you, but she's still being a bit… difficult. Don't worry, though, I won't tell her about this. Roland cares for you and I know you care for him, you shouldn't be deprived of each other's company. If this is the only way you get to be together for now, so be it," he said.

"Thank you," she said with relief, not knowing how else to respond.

The silence stretched between them then, and Regina suddenly felt the urge to run as she imagined his intense gaze, the emotional turmoil that she knew was constantly brewing in those deep blue eyes of his.

"It's getting late, I should go to bed," she attempted, but Robin wasn't ready to let go just yet.

"Wait!" he rasped into the walkie, and Regina couldn't bring herself to shut the thing off, couldn't make herself stay away from him.

"I miss you," he said once he was sure she was still there, and much like when it was Roland who'd said it, tears sprang to her eyes, falling instantly.

"Robin…"

"I'm so sorry," he told her, his voice tight and pained, knowing how much this was hurting her.

"So am I."

"I love you, Regina."

"I love you, too," she uttered in a shaky whisper, bringing her legs up to her stomach where she lay sideways on the bed, listening to his breathing and murmured words of devotion until she fell asleep with tears in her eyes.


	27. Ice Cream

_**This is for Emily, who had a bad day today and I want to cheer her up because my favorite fic authors bring me so much joy that I want to protect them fiercely and they should never EVER have crappy days. Em, I hope this helps!**_

_**-B**_

* * *

There's something about the way Regina moves around their kitchen, Robin thinks as he watches her get the ice cream out of the freezer, something graceful and confident and altogether enticing, that makes his breath hitch and his eyes close as the flicker of desire burns through him.

Not that he can do anything about it now, as his young son is with her, demanding to help and giggling when she hoists him into her arms and spins him around. She laughs at his delighted squeals before she sits him on the counter and asks him to carefully pour the chocolate syrup over the ice cream as she scoops it up into the bowls. Her eyes watch Roland as she moves, making sure he's safe and doesn't make a mess of things. She hasn't realized Robin is watching them, has no idea he's been hiding behind the kitchen door for the last ten minutes, looking on as she readies their dessert.

Roland happily announces that he's poured enough syrup, and she smiles and bops his nose with her finger, agreeing with him before she takes him in her arms and puts him down on the floor, but he's not having it, holding on to her neck with both arms and squeezing, laughing when she catches on to his devious actions.

Regina brings him up with her again and their foreheads touch as she whispers something to him. Roland nods, says "I love you, too, Regina," and hugs her tight. Robin smiles, loving how at ease she is, how much she seems to cherish these quiet moments with his son. She has to share Henry with Emma, and now Roland with Marian, but Robin knows she doesn't resent it, knows she treasures every moment she spends with her boys, and it warms his heart to see her like this, makes him daydream of the day they have more kids running around the house, a day he hopes isn't too far away into the future.

"Why don't you go get your father, tell him his ice cream is waiting?" she asks the boy when she finally puts him down after a good cuddle, and Roland scampers off excitedly, only to run right smack into Robin's legs by the kitchen door.

"Papa!" he exclaims as he throws his arms around Robin when he crouches down in front of him, "ice cream is ready!"

"So I heard," Robin says, chuckling at his son's enthusiasm.

"I poured the syrup!" he announces proudly.

"You did?!"

"Yes! Regina let me!"

"That's wonderful, my boy. I can't wait to eat it," Robin tells him, looking up at Regina as he straightens and stretches an arm out towards her, then huffs out a laugh when Roland groans.

"Are you going to get all kissy again?" he asks in annoyance.

"Roland, I just saw you cuddling with Regina. It's my turn now," Robin says as he pulls her flush against him, landing a kiss on her cheek and then another on the tip of her nose, and Roland gives him a sheepish grin before he groans again.

"Okay yeah, but that was _one_ cuddle, just one! You always cuddle her for aaaaaaages, the ice cream is going to melt!"

"Roland, why don't you take your dessert to the living room and pick out a movie for us to watch?" Regina asks them, trying to appease him. It works, and the boy jumps up excitedly to grab his bowl and runs out of the kitchen, Regina's loud "careful!" falling on deaf ears. She sighs before focusing on Robin, and that's when she notices the sparkle in his eyes.

"What?" she asks, smiling shyly at him. He shakes his head, but his smile doesn't falter.

"You're incredible, you know that?" he tells her, and she feels that traitorous blush appear on her cheeks, a reaction she's never had to anyone but him. And then realization hits her.

"You told Roland you saw him cuddling with me, were you spying on us?" she asks, trying –and failing- to sound stern, raising an eyebrow at him, her eyes dancing with mirth.

"I might've been watching from the door," he admits innocently, shrugging with a smile before he closes the space between them, brushing his lips against hers slowly, moaning low in his throat when her teeth graze his bottom lip and her tongue licks to soothe.

"Regina," he murmurs into her mouth, her reply comes in the form of a sexy _hmm_ that she utters against his neck when she tips her head down to suck on the skin there.

"Roland is waiting," he warns, but his voice is breathy and low as his hands thread into her hair.

"I know, don't worry, I won't start anything," she says against his skin.

"I believe you already have, milady," he says, bucking his hips into hers so she can feel his arousal.

"You are insatiable," she tells him when she parts from him, putting some much needed distance between them.

"For you? Always," he says with that cheeky, lopsided grin he knows drives her crazy, and Regina can't resist him and his dimples, so she brings their bodies close again and kisses him once more, his hands coming to grasp her around the waist.

Roland's voice comes from the living room, interrupting them.

"Stop canoodling and come watch Treasure Planet with me!" he tells them, and Regina lets out a few expletives against his shoulder, cursing Emma under her breath for teaching Roland that word. Robin laughs against her forehead, placing a kiss there before he lets her extricate herself from his arms and grab the two bowls of half-melted ice cream still sitting on the counter.

They watch the movie together, empty bowls on the coffee table as Roland excitedly points out his favorite parts to them from where he sits on the carpet. Robin draws Regina into his lap on the couch and plays with the ends of her hair, planting sweet kisses on her neck every now and then, and he thanks his lucky stars that he is able to enjoy this very moment, that he's able to hold her in his arms and bask in a happiness he never thought he'd have again.


End file.
